Nonprofits share importance of foster care awareness

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – May is Foster Care Awareness Month. It recognizes the people and groups that advocate and make an impact on the foster care system.

One is Voices For Children, which is appointed as a guardian ad litem for children in the system.

“We strive to become the expert on that child so that we can make very solid recommendations to the court as to what is best for that child,” Nancy Browning said.

Browning is the organization’s development director and said this is done by visiting with the child along with their caregivers, teachers, counselors, doctors and anyone else who has information on the child.

In addition, VFC works with the children’s attorney ad litem, who focuses on the children’s legal needs.

The Department of Family and Protective Services reported that there were 31,475 children in the Texas foster care system in the last fiscal year. More than 400 were in the Brazos Valley.

“We served 295 of those children with little over 130 volunteers,” Browning said.

The nonprofit serves five counties, which are Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon and Madison.

Another organization meeting the needs of kids and families in the foster care system is BCS Together.

Its Closet program has been an essential resource since its creation in 2019.

The Closet has clothes, shoes, car seats, diapers and other necessary items for kids and teens.

“Even though they’re in foster care, they deserve the same amount of dignity that a child not in the system has,” Reilly Lancaster said.

Lancaster, the organization’s communications and development director, said they’ve served over 5,000 kids since the start.

“In 2023, we served 1,700 kids at The Closet and already in quarter one this year, we’ve served over 450 kids,” Lancaster said.

Both Lancaster and Browning said this is why being aware and supporting organizations meeting the needs of those in the foster care system are important.

A way the community can support is by attending the organizations’ events, donating and asking questions.

Upcoming events for both organizations can be found below.

Voices For Children

Shop For Casa– ends July 15Pickleball Palooza– Oct.12

BCS Together

Back to School Bash– July 27Fall Festival– Oct. 12Photos with Santa– Dec. 14