Most children in foster care, Dani Mendenhall told Union City Council, have nothing more than the clothes they are wearing and maybe a small duffel bag as they are shuffled from home to home.
Council welcomed Mendenhall, who spoke with one hand dyed completely purple, to a May meeting to bring awareness to Foster Awareness Month. Mendenhall had come straight from running a home school program at her home, and she was one glove short for the day’s tie-dye activity.
Having four foster children herself, Mendenhall said she is a staunch and passionate advocate for providing for kids looking for a family.
“The one problem with foster families is there aren’t enough foster families,” Mendenhall said.
In Kentucky, 8,017 children are in ‘out-of-home’ care, or foster care, but there are only 1,945 Department for Community Based Services homes, Mendenhall said. In Northern Kentucky alone, she said, 1,162 children are in out-of-home care, and there are only 264 homes to place them in.
“Most people feel like they’re in a good place to [adopt], and that is a legitimate answer,” Mendenhall said.
While adoption works for some families, she said there are many other ways people can help children and families who are involved with the foster care system.
“I hope that people think about ways to donate to that cause,” Mayor Larry Solomon said. “They need more than we think they do.”
Two local places to make donations of clothes, toiletries, and similar items for kids in the foster system are:
- The Giving Tree of NKY – The Giving Tree accepts donations of clothes for newborn through size 2XL. Contact neaceamanda@yahoo.com for more information.
- The Vinedresser – Donations can be dropped off during church office hours (Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) or in their 24-hour donation bin. Address: 7101 Old Pleasant Valley Way in Florence. Email karla@vineyardchristian.org or call 859-750-2846 with questions. Vinedresser accepts children’s clothing, shoes, new socks and underwear, coats, hats, mittens and scarves, pajamas and bathing suits, infant necessities, diapers and wipes. Vinedresser does not accept toys, stuffed animals or cribs.