May is Foster Care Awareness Month and Foster Parent, Gianni Sentz, and President and CEO of Kids in Distress, Mark D. Dhooge, joined Inside South Florida as a part of WSFL-TV’s “Doing Good” campaign to bring awareness about the positive impact foster care can have.
“The mission of kids in distress is to prevent child abuse, preserve the family, and provide treatment to children who are impacted by abuse and neglect,” says Dhooge. “Our agency, Kids in Distress, along with our affiliate, Family Central, impacts over 20,000 children throughout South Florida every single year.”
For many, foster care is a great way to support their community.
“I wanted to become a foster parent to give back where I can and bring someone into my house,” says Sentz. “It impacted me tremendously. I am way more understanding, and I am less judgmental. It's just a great gift for my children as well to be able to give love without having to get anything back.”
One of the biggest fears families have when it comes to bringing in a foster child is the idea of reunification.
“It's the fear of having a child in your home for six months, a year, or 18 months and then that child leaves and is no longer a part of their life,” says Dhooge. “However, one of the things that's very important is that we encourage all of our foster parents to often keep that link alive.”
For more information, visit www.kidinc.org
This Inside South Florida segment is paid for by Demesmin and Dover Law Firm
