Our mission is to provide support, training and advocacy to meet the special needs of foster, adoptive and kinship families, who provide safe, stable and nurturing homes for children in foster care.
For the foster parents, staff, and volunteers I've had the pleasure of meeting over the past year, Foster and Adoptive Family Services’ mission statement is not just words on a page, but a philosophy they embrace and live by.
The decision to become a foster parent is one of the biggest commitments a person will make in his/her lifetime. Although I’m not a foster parent myself, I am proud to be part of a larger community that comes together to care for New Jersey’s most vulnerable children. While not everyone is able to become a foster parent, everyone is able to help abused and neglected children by supporting their caregivers’ efforts to provide them with a safe home.
There are a number of volunteer opportunities available for both foster parents and non foster parents alike with Foster and Adoptive Family Services. If you’re a foster parent, you can participate in FAFS’ Volunteer Committees/Affiliate, which hold monthly meetings where you can not only share your experiences but also receive required training to help you care for the children placed in your homes. The Volunteer Committees/Affiliate also hold events throughout the year where children in foster care can make friends with other children in out-of-home placement, and in some cases, reunite with siblings placed in other foster homes. The more foster families that participate in FAFS’ Volunteer Committees/Affiliate, the more vital a resource they become. We encourage you to connect with a Volunteer Committee/Affiliate in your county.
If you’re not a foster parent, you can help out at one of our many events throughout the year by selling 50/50 tickets at Rev Your Engines For Our Kids, our annual car show; giving out water to thirsty walkers at the FAFS Foundation’s Walk for Children in Foster Care; or painting faces at our annual County Holiday Celebrations. You can also become a career mentor to a former child in foster care who hopes to enter your profession after college through FAFS’ new Career Connection program.
If your busy schedule doesn’t allow you to volunteer, but you would still like to help New Jersey’s children in foster care, please consider donating to one of our many privately-funded programs that directly impact their lives. Whether you contribute to FAFS’ Private Scholarships and Independent Living Grants, which help young adults aging out of foster care pursue their educational and vocational goals, or collect new toys during the holiday season for FAFS’ annual toy drive, you can make a difference.
Finally, there is a need for New Jersey foster parents to care for these children until they can safely return home, or become free for adoption. If you would like to become a foster parent, or would like to fostadopt, Foster and Adoptive Services is here to help. Please call 1.800.222.0047 today.
During my tenure as President, I hope to involve more and more of the community at large in helping New Jersey’s most vulnerable children. I extend a welcoming hand not only to those who take these children into their homes, but to everyone who has it in their heart to help. I strongly share FAFS’ belief that children foster in care are the community’s children, with the same hopes and dreams as all children, and I am honored to be part of this community that cares so much. Thank you for your interest and support.
— Glenda Y. Elie
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