Can the Church do more for Foster Youth?

[RCIAGraduate]

Hello everyone, how are your summers starting out?

I know there are certain laws such as statues that could cause Catholic Charities and other related organizations to go against their morals if they receive public funds though there could be ways around that(i.e private charity outreach for example).

With that said what are your thoughts and perspectives on the Church helping or aiding those within the Foster Youth System(if you know about any current initiatives please share). Do you think the Church and basically all of us here Catholic or otherwise can do more to help those in Foster Care?

Also, since not everyone is fit to be a Foster Parent, what do you think are some alternative ways to help those in Foster Care?

Have a wonderful week.

 

[DakiniArtist]

Excellent question! I’ve left social work for the time being (home with kids) but this is near and dear to me. I’ll be thinking about it.

 

[RCIAGraduate]

Bump

 

[bjryman]

Hello everyone, how are your summers starting out?

I know there are certain laws such as statues that could cause Catholic Charities and other related organizations to go against their morals if they receive public funds though there could be ways around that(i.e private charity outreach for example).

With that said what are your thoughts and perspectives on the Church helping or aiding those within the Foster Youth System(if you know about any current initiatives please share). Do you think the Church and basically all of us here Catholic or otherwise can do more to help those in Foster Care?

Also, since not everyone is fit to be a Foster Parent, what do you think are some alternative ways to help those in Foster Care?

Have a wonderful week.

I have become ever more concerned that due to the fact our clergy cannot motivate the faithful to donate more than about 3% to the cause, and that 10 to 20% of families in parishes continue to handle 90% of ministry work, the move by the Church has been to get “in bed” deeply with the secular ruling bodies. The result recently in Social Justice “laws” versus Church Teachings has been instructive to many.

How about instead, we build on your comments, and get Catholics to pool their time, talent and treasure INTO THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES at a much higher percentage? How about they buy a house near the Church Parish Building and set up a Foster Care Home or two? Instead of flying to Haiti to help there, or sending missionaries elsewhere, how about really evangelizing locally?

Time and again, the answer to any question like yours returns to resources allocated from the faithful. 36% attending Mass Regularly, 20% handling most of the duties…imagine if we could tap even a small percentage of the remainder into the kinds of real programs local communities need desparately. (Foster Care, Child Advocates, Half Way Houses for Single Pregnant Women…I could go on)