Montana has one of the highest numbers of children in foster care per capita in the country—and for many of them, stability can feel out of reach, but one organization is working to change that, one family at a time.
“Kids in foster care was about 1 in 74, and now it is 1 in 120, so were making a difference in helping Montana be the best place to be a kid,” said Rooted Families resource specialist Tiffany Lawler.
Rooted Families is a Montana-based nonprofit working with child protection service workers and helping them meet the needs of foster children and families.
The non-profit is currently using a care-sharing technology called Care Portal, where CPS agents can make requests for families in need of various supplies to help care for the kids.
“The goal is to help Montana families be successful,” said Faith and Community-Based Services DPHHS coordinator Rob Lawler. “That means meeting the needs of the children in their care, and we just love to be able to make that easy.”
Those requests go out to participating churches, who offer their support in providing the supplies and letting families know they’re not alone.
With over 40 team members, Big Sky Fellowship stepped up, making an impact right here in Helena, improving the lives of 121 kids and raising over $40,000 in the valley.
“We have had a lot of people that wanted to get involved in foster care somehow but didn’t know how, so this is a very tangible way for people to get involved and meet the needs of the community for the kids,” said Big Sky Fellowship team leader for Rooted Families Andy Erdahl.
Rooted Families works with over 100 churches in 25 counties across Montana, and DPHHS appreciates their work alongside churches to help strengthen foster families in our community.
“Sometimes families just run into challenges, and we want to be there as Montanans to help our fellow Montanans,” said Rob Lawler.
More information about how you can help can be found here.
