Ignorance is Bliss
Washtenaw County needs more homes for foster children
Ann Arbor, Michigan January 19, 2012 - Ignorance is bliss, but knowledge is power. When injustice crosses our path, we can choose to look away and ignore it, in order to maintain artificial reality, or we can look it straight in the eye without flinching and confront it. Ultimately we decide. Washtenaw County, injustice is crossing our path. We can choose to stop ignoring and start doing something. Are we ready for reality or will we ignore it?
Ignore the reality that there are well over 200 children from Washtenaw County in foster care. Most because they have been victims of child abuse or neglect. Some have been abandoned; some live in homes without heat or water, or even electricity. Others have experienced physical, sexual or psychological abuse. Sadly, these children are not only displaced from their homes, but having to take refuge in homes in geographically foreign cities. Washtenaw County has only fraction of the needed licensed foster homes, urgently needing more. According to the 2005-2009 US Census Bureau, there are 133,925 households in Washtenaw County. That means that less than 1/1000 of a percent of our county is confronting the injustice faced by our children.
What is foster care? It is providing a temporary, safe home for children who have been removed by the state from their own homes. The purpose of foster care is to provide consistency and safety in a family setting. By simply living life and welcoming the child into their homes, foster parents become heroes.
For the next few months, Judson Center is joining hands with Washtenaw County to raise awareness, and to find at least 45 more homes willing to be heroes and become licensed foster families within our county. “We are excited about this campaign,” says Jennifer Trotter, Regional Director for Judson Center in Washtenaw County. She continues “We will be posting weekly videos on YouTube channel IgnoreNow2012 to explore what real live local families answer to
‘Why aren’t you a foster parent?’, videos of FAQ’s and case studies of real children who have experienced foster care. We can also be followed on Facebook under ignoreNOW, and on our website at www.ignoreNOW.com.” Stay tuned for exciting events, such as a breathtaking sky lantern ceremony in May, monthly orientations, and other special events. In this campaign Judson Center’s main goal is increase awareness. “We believe that raising awareness can bring out the hero in all of us. We believe there is a solution and the first step is knowledge. If more of us know, then more of us will care. If more of us care, then more of us will do something heroic.“ Says Trotter.
Judson Center recruits and trains families from the community to provide temporary, loving foster homes for children who have been separated from their biological parents due to abuse, neglect, abandonment or death in the family. Judson Center foster parents are dedicated individuals who are truly invested in the value of family and the healthy development of children. All of our foster homes are licensed through the State of Michigan and foster parents receive on-going training and assistance to successfully meet the needs of the child placed in their home.
Since 1924, Judson Center has been a trusted non-profit community resource that creates solutions to improve the lives of individuals and families in southeast Michigan. Judson Center provides more that 400,000 personalized support services each year that emphasize community and promote individual and family ability to encourage personal growth and foster independence. These services include: Adoption, Autism Connections, Community Living Support, Counseling, Family Preservation, Foster Care, and Respite Care
If you would like more information about this topic or to schedule an interview with Jennifer Trotter, contact 734.528.1692 or email: Jennifer_Trotter@judsoncenter.org
Click here to read the article by Heritage Newspapers
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