Foster Love Ministries

05/31/2026

As Foster Care Awareness Month comes to a close, the need does not.

Right here in our community, more than 180 children are currently in foster care. Behind every number is a child who has experienced loss, uncertainty, and trauma. Behind every placement is a foster family navigating court dates, appointments, visits, school transitions, behaviors rooted in grief, and the daily work of helping a child heal.

But what if we looked upstream?

What if we didn’t only respond when children enter foster care, but also came alongside families before a crisis became a removal?

Through CarePortal, we see it every day. Sometimes a bed, a utility bill, a car repair, childcare assistance, or simply a caring community can be the difference between a family falling apart and a family staying together.

The Church was never called to be comfortable. We were called to love our neighbors.

That means stepping into hard places. It means seeing vulnerable children and families not as someone else’s responsibility, but as our mission field. It means bringing compassion into action right here in our own neighborhoods.

At Foster Love Ministries, we believe every church,community member, business can do something.

You may not be called to foster, but you can support a foster family.
You may not be able to adopt, but you can meet a need.
You may not be able to do everything, but you can do something.

As we move beyond Foster Care Awareness Month, let this be the beginning of a movement.

A movement of churches becoming
CarePortal Churches.
A movement of ordinary people saying “yes” to loving vulnerable children and families.
A movement that turns compassion into action.

Because the mission field isn’t somewhere far away.

It’s right here.

And our neighbors are waiting.

Don’t wait for another awareness month to get involved.

Take the next step today by connecting with Foster Love Ministries to learn how your church, small group, or family can join CarePortal and begin meeting real needs for local children and families.

Visit https://www.careportal.org or reach out to Foster Love Ministries now to find out how you can respond to a request, become a CarePortal Church, or support a family in crisis.

Someone in our community needs help today and your “yes” could make all the difference.

05/30/2026

🎉💙 Happy Birthday, Kristin! 💙🎉

Today we are celebrating one of the most compassionate, faithful, and servant-hearted people we know!

Kristin serves as a valued member of the Foster Love Ministries Support Team and as a CarePortal Church Ambassador, but more than any title, she is someone who consistently shows up for children and families with grace, kindness, and love.

Whether she’s helping connect resources, encouraging foster and kinship families, supporting our mission, or simply being a friend to those who need one, Kristin leads with a heart for people and a deep commitment to making a difference.

Her willingness to say “yes” to serving vulnerable children and families has impacted more lives than she probably realizes.

Kristin, thank you for the countless ways you help turn compassion into action. Thank you for being a champion for children, a partner in ministry, and a blessing to our community.

We pray this year is filled with joy, laughter, abundant blessings, and all the love you so freely give to others.

🎂 Happy Birthday, Kristin! We are so grateful for you! ❤️

Drop a birthday wish for Kristin in the comments below! ⬇️🎉

ConnectionChangesEverything

05/30/2026

Hey amazing community we have a CarePortal request that could truly ease the burden for a local kinship family walking through an unexpected medical crisis.

Our Connecting Church First Baptist Waynesboro, VA has already connected with this family, and the family is incredibly grateful and appreciative of the support being offered.

Due to an unexpected medical event, they were not able to work a portion of this month. They are caring for four children, one being a kinship placement. Right now, they simply need our community to help bridge the gap.

These are the moments when we get to step into someone’s story and remind them they are not alone.

If just 30 people gave $20, this request would be fully met.

We are reconnecting with mom on Monday with the hope of helping get her caught up and bringing some relief during an incredibly hard season.

Thank you for being part of her story. Every small act of compassion matters.

Of note: All CarePortal requests are vetted by local social workers through SVDSS, who know the family’s situation, available resources, and specific needs. Families also provide consent before support is offered through CarePortal. (CarePortal)

You can help here:
https://system.careportal.org/request-engagement/requests/303178

05/27/2026

Update: WE connected with mom and she is amazing, she is so appreciative of any support, this is a simple way to come along side a hard working family who said yes to Kinship place and support them.

Sometimes preventing crisis looks like paying a utility bill. 💙

Right now, a local kinship family in our community needs help staying stable.

This family has stepped up to care for a 1-year-old child in kinship care, while also caring for 3 other children in the home. Recently, their primary caregiver had to stop working due to a medical issue, causing a sudden loss of income. Despite their hardship, they are doing everything they can to stabilize and keep moving forward.

Now, they are behind on gas, water, and electric bills and without support, this family risks utility disruption.

Here’s the thing: this request is about so much more than bills. It’s about helping a child remain safely with familiar, loving caregivers. It’s about prevention. It’s about community stepping in before things become a crisis.

What if our community came together and everyone gave a little? Even $10, $20, or $50 can make a meaningful difference when many people step in together.

Will you help us surround this family with support? 💙

Donate or share here:https://system.careportal.org/request-engagement/requests/303178

Because sometimes, loving our neighbor looks like keeping the lights on.

Help Preserve a Kinship Placement

05/26/2026

💙 What My Now Self Would Tell My Old Self as a First-Time Foster Parent 💙
Advice from local foster families #3

One foster mom shared something beautifully honest:

✨ “It’s hard, but it’s worth it.”

She shared:

“You’ll get attached, root for reunification with family members, and then have your heart torn out over and over again saying goodbye to kids you love… but you’ll continue to say yes.”

This may be one of the hardest truths in foster care:

You will love deeply.

You’ll cheer for reunification even while your heart aches. You’ll grieve goodbyes. You’ll wonder how you can possibly keep opening your heart again.

And yet…

Children heal through attachment.

They need adults who are willing to love with open arms, even when the future is uncertain.

This foster mom reminded us of something so important:

💛 Getting attached isn’t the problem it’s part of the healing.
💛 Families need support, not judgment.
💛 Reunification, when safe and possible, matters.
💛 And somehow, love multiplies instead of runs out.

Because every child deserves someone willing to say:

✨ “You were worth loving, no matter how long you stayed.”

Foster parents ,what would your now self tell your old self? ⬇️

ConnectionChangesEverything

05/25/2026

🇺🇸 This Memorial Day, we pause to remember and honor the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. ❤️🤍💙

We are deeply grateful for the freedoms we enjoy because of their sacrifice.

Today, we also want to extend a special thank you to the service members and veterans in our community who continue serving in another extraordinary way as foster and kinship parents.

To the military families who have opened their homes and hearts to vulnerable children:

💙 Thank you for your sacrifice.
💙 Thank you for your compassion.
💙 Thank you for continuing to serve ; not only our country, but children and families in need.

Foster parenting requires courage, flexibility, resilience, and selfless love, qualities so many military families embody every day.

As we remember those who gave everything, we also honor those who continue showing up, serving quietly, and making a difference in the lives of children right here in our communities.

To every veteran and active-duty foster parent: we see you, we honor you, and we thank you.

🇺🇸 Freedom isn’t free. Love is service. And both change lives.

05/24/2026

💙 What My Now Self Would Tell My Old Self as a First-Time Foster Parent 💙
Advice from local foster & kinship families #2

This local foster parent shared something powerful:

✨ “Trust your instincts and learn quickly to advocate and use your voice.”

Foster care and kinship care can feel overwhelming. You’ll sit in meetings filled with unfamiliar terms, court dates, professionals, and hard decisions. There will be moments when you question yourself.

But here’s what this experienced foster parent wants new families to know:

💛 Trust your instincts.
💛 Advocate fiercely for the child in your care.
💛 Find your people and ask for help.
💛 Love biological families well.

One of the most beautiful reminders in this advice:

“The only person who knows that kiddo best in this season is you.”

You matter. Your voice matters. And loving a child fiercely while honoring their family can change everything.

Foster parents & kinship caregivers, what would your now self tell your old self? ⬇️

ConnectionChangesEverything FosterLoveMinistries

05/24/2026

💙 What My Now Self Would Tell My Old Self as a First-Time Foster Parent 💙
A series featuring wisdom from local foster and kinship families.

We asked local foster parents:

✨ “What do you wish you had known when you first said yes?”

And their answers? Honest, vulnerable, and full of wisdom.

#1 “You don’t have to know everything to say yes.”

One local kinship/foster family shared:

“We said yes before knowing anything about foster care. But it would have been nice to know what services and assistance were available before we opened our home…”

They shared that they didn’t initially know about things like:
✔️ Healthcare coverage
✔️ Monthly stipends and clothing reimbursement
✔️ Court processes and timelines
✔️ The support available for kinship caregivers

They also wished they had been connected to another foster or kinship family to help walk alongside them during the process.

Here’s the truth we want every new foster or kinship parent to hear:

💛 You do not have to have it all figured out to say yes.
💛 It’s okay to ask questions.
💛 There is support.
💛 There is community.
💛 And you are not alone.

At Foster Love Ministries connected by CarePortal, we believe connection changes everything and sometimes what a new foster parent needs most is someone saying:

✨ “We’ve been there. Let us walk with you.”

Foster parents : what would your now self tell your old self when you first started? Drop it in the comments ⬇️

ConnectionChangesEverything

05/23/2026

💙 Every child belongs in a healthy, loving family. 💙

No other environment has proven to be better suited to provide the safety, stability, and care so vital to a child’s well-being.

But the reality is hard.

Across the United States, millions of reports of child maltreatment are made each year. A report is made every 10 seconds, and hundreds of thousands of children are removed from unsafe situations and placed into foster care.

And here in Virginia, the need is closer than many realize:

🏡 Nearly 6000 children and youth are currently in foster care in Va
💔 Many children are placed outside of their own communities because there are not enough foster homes nearby
👧🏾👦🏻 There is a significant need for homes for sibling groups, teens, and children of color
🤝 Behind every statistic is a child longing for safety, belonging, and connection

The truth is: there are no easy answers in child welfare. Families face incredibly complex challenges, and the goal is always healing, support, and safe family connections whenever possible.

But we can all be part of the solution.

You may not be called to foster but maybe you’re called to support a foster family, mentor a teen, provide respite, volunteer, pray, give, or respond to vetted needs through CarePortal.

Because every child deserves safety. Stability. Love. And every child deserves a community willing to show up.

✨ One child. One family. One act of love at a time.

05/23/2026

💙 MYTH VS. FACT: Foster Care Edition 💙

MYTH: “I could never foster because getting attached would hurt too much.”

We hear this one often and truthfully? It means your heart is in the right place. ❤️

FACT: Attachment is actually part of the healing.

Children in foster care have often experienced loss, instability, trauma, and disrupted relationships. Safe, caring adults who show up consistently can help rewrite that story.

Will it be hard sometimes? Absolutely.

But what if the greater heartbreak is a child never experiencing healthy connection at all?

Foster care isn’t about guarding our hearts it’s about opening them.

Sometimes love means cheering on reunification. Sometimes it means walking alongside a family as they heal. Sometimes it means loving a child deeply for a season and reminding them:

✨ You mattered here.
✨ You were safe here.
✨ You were loved here.

And that kind of connection can change everything.