Fostering Hope: The Next Door Inc. Celebrates Local Foster Families
May is National Foster Care Month, a time to acknowledge and appreciate the work of the families and parents who provide support, safety, and stability to youth in foster care. On May 14, The Next Door Inc. (TNDI) will host a special event to honor these incredible individuals who open their hearts and their homes to youth in our Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC) program.
This month also provides an opportunity to shine a light on the foster care system and aims to raise awareness for the emotional, behavioral, and/or medical needs of children and teens. Most youth in our TFC program, ages 6-18, have been abused or neglected and function developmentally younger than their biological age. Through trauma-informed care, these youth can heal, grow, and develop with the support of a caring foster parent.
Each year, nearly 400,000 youth are in foster care across the United States. The Next Door, the area’s largest human services nonprofit organization, has over 35 programs that serve children, families, teens, and more throughout the Gorge. In addition to TFC, The Next Door stepped up to fill a need where there’s been an ongoing shortage of therapeutic foster homes and, in 2023, purchased a home in The Dalles to care for foster children throughout Oregon.
The new home’s purchase has allowed TNDI to expand their capacity to care for youth in need by providing a safe and nurturing home, staffed by dedicated professionals. Youth are supervised by TNDI team members who have been recruited, trained, and supported by the organization to ensure every youth receives the care and attention they need to thrive.
While this group home is a huge achievement for TNDI’s Treatment Services program and The Next Door as a whole, this work has only just begun. At TNDI, we continue to seek the support and resources of the community to recruit therapeutic foster homes for the youth we serve. By working together, we can help ensure every child and teen in foster care in our region is given the chance at a happy, healthy life.
For more information about becoming a certified full-time or weekend foster care parent, please contact fosterinfo@nextdoorinc.org or (541) 308-2207.
