In August, a request came through CarePortal telling of a foster family that had recently encountered a problem with bed bugs in their home. This foster family had taken in three children whom they loved and cared for well. Unfortunately, this foster placement led to an infestation of bed bugs which threatened the safety of the home. If the bed bugs were not eradicated quickly, the kids would have to be moved to different foster homes.

The foster family had already paid for a bed bug treatment, but it had not completely killed the bugs. The treatments were expensive, and with three new children in their home, the foster parents needed help paying for the cost of another treatment. Sending a request through CarePortal, the caseworker asked for help from the local church. Several churches in the Oklahoma City area responded! Together, they were able to cover the cost of extermination and have the home fully treated for bed bugs. This generosity allowed three precious children to remain with the foster family that loved them!

Here’s what the caseworker had to say about the response from the church:  

This CarePortal experience allowed three foster children to maintain their current placement and not move to homes where they were not familiar. Continuity is important for these kids and it is helpful to me as the caseworker when steps are taken to maintain successful placements.

Many of the requests that are met through CarePortal allow children to remain in their current foster home. This is essential to their well-being. Multiple moves can compound issues children often face after they have experienced trauma. Staying with their current foster family was especially important for these kids, as finding a new foster home to take all three of them would have been difficult. There are many false ideas about foster families and why they bring children into their care.  Fostering for financial gain is one of the most common misconceptions with the least validity because subsidies barely cover expenses. Through CarePortal, God is using the local church to support foster families, allowing them to continue to love and nurture our state’s kids in their care.