Date: May 08, 2024
As a community, the Chickasaw Nation treasures our youth and prioritizes their well-being. The Chickasaw Nation Foster Care Program provides First American children with nurturing and culturally appropriate foster homes. However, despite our best efforts, there are still children in our community who need safe and loving homes. This May, during Foster Care Awareness Month, learn more about the foster care system and the significance of becoming a foster parent.
“A foster home is not just a place to put a child,” said Machelle Ellis, foster care resource manager for Chickasaw Nation Family Preservation Services. “We are looking for homes that are nurturing, loving and stable, and can help children heal from trauma. In such a hard world, children need a soft place to land.”
Becoming a foster parent is a powerful way to make a positive impact in the lives of these children. Keeping First American foster children connected to their extended family, community and cultural identity has far-reaching positive outcomes, including higher self-esteem and academic achievement. By opening your heart and home to a foster child, you can provide them with the stability and support they need to thrive.
The goal of the foster care system is to reunite families whenever possible. It is a temporary solution, providing children a safe environment to live in while parents work to resolve the issues that led to their child’s placement. Foster parents are an important part of the support system created for the entire family and can have a significant and lasting impact on the child’s life.
Citizens can apply with Chickasaw Nation Family Preservation Services to become foster parents if they live within Oklahoma. Foster parents can be single, married, divorced or widowed. Other eligibility requirements apply.
To address this critical need for homes, the Chickasaw Nation is also offering employees Individual Development Plan (IDP) program credit for becoming foster care parents.
For more eligibility requirements and additional information about the foster care program, visit Chickasaw.net/Foster.