Safe Spaces

The concept of safe spaces can apply to any number of things, from workplaces to homes to tourist destinations.
 
For youth in foster care, a safe space means more than a roof over their head. It means finding a place where the adults and other household members not only welcome them but accept them. It means feeling able to express their wants and needs and knowing that making a mistake won’t result in another move, more new faces, less safety.
 
Safe spaces are vital for youth in foster care (and, truly, for everyone) but they aren’t always plentiful. It is up to the grown-ups – the caseworkers, foster parents, teachers, and mentors – to help young people feel and be safe. It is up to people like you.
 
This Foster Care Awareness Month contact your county or local nonprofit to find out how you can help create safe spaces for the youth in foster care in your community. You don’t have to be a foster parent or a teacher or a mentor. You can donate luggage, school supplies, hygiene kits, etc. so that youth don’t feel quite so out of place when they get to a new space. Every little bit counts.

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