By Amber Augustin
Volunteers are needed by the Utah Foster Care Foundation to aid the growing number of foster children in the Utah Valley area.
There are 2,300 children in state custody, a number that has grown 121 percent since 1994.
Monty Scott, Western Regional Volunteer Program Manager, said that at any given time in the Western Region, there are an estimated 150 to 200 children in the foster care program.
“The ultimate goal of the foundation is to re-unite children with their birth parents,” Scott said.
About half of the children will go back to their parents, and adoption becomes the next alternative.
Scott said that there is a critical need to find, educate and nurture foster families in Utah.
With 20 children entering the program each month, it becomes important to increase the number of volunteers.
“Currently, our volunteer pool is very small. Our goal is to have the same number of volunteers as there are foster children,” he said.
The United Way Volunteer Center in Provo is aiding in the recruitment process for the foundation.
“We act as a resource for people who want to serve to get them connected to groups who have expressed needs,” said Scott Snow, Volunteer Center Director in Utah County.
Snow said that there is a great need right now for those who are willing to serve as a foster parent, grandparent or friend.
There are a variety of ways to get involved in serving the foundation including mentoring a foster child, tutoring them in schoolwork, and providing temporary relief for foster parents.
“The children have specific needs, sometimes they have difficulty keeping up in school, and sometimes they just need to be able to relate with an adult who will be there for them,” Scott said.
Many volunteers spend a few hours a week with the children, although volunteers may spend as much time as they can give.
Kristin Smith, 20, UVSC student majoring in elementary education, said that she spends about three hours each week tutoring a preschool age boy.
“It is nice because if I have more time on a specific day, I can volunteer more and if I find that I am strapped for time, I can decrease my volunteer hours a bit,” she said.
In addition to volunteering directly with the children, there are also many on-going projects and one-time events that require volunteer work.
The Foster Care Foundation offers flexible schedules for volunteers and aids in matching up needs with the volunteers’ interests.
Volunteers must be over the age of 18 to volunteer as mentors or foster friends, and over the age of 21 to become foster parents.
In addition to 32 hours of training, a criminal background check is required for those desiring to work directly with the children.
Those interested in volunteering can contact the Utah Foster Care Foundation at 1-877-505-KIDS.
