New Jersey has many kids in foster care, including several hundred in Hudson County. Parent Fahima Andersen of Jersey City is the mom to one of them – a 3-year-old boy.
“There is little support for foster families [from the government],” Andersen said last week. “That’s why I joined the board of FAFSF [Foster and Adoptive Families Services Foundation.] They keep track of the training, provide foster children with mentoring; they help when they graduate and are going to college … they fill a hole that may not be there through the state.”
FAFSF, in partnership with the Junior Women’s Clubs of Long Valley, Mendham, Somerset Hills and Washington, is hosting a fundraiser called A Day at the Races: A Kentucky Derby Celebration to Support Children in Foster Care on Saturday, May 1, 2010 from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the home of Fran Borgenicht, 392 Fairview Avenue, Long Valley, NJ.
The Kentucky Derby Celebration will aid the Foundation in its efforts to assist Foster and Adoptive Family Services (FAFS), a non-profit organization that provides support, training and advocacy to meet the special needs of foster, adoptive and kinship families, who provide safe, stable and nurturing homes for children in foster care. The event will also bring attention to the continuing need for foster and adoptive families, as part of FAFS’ recognition of May as National Foster Care Month.
Attendees will enjoy hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine and mint juleps, the classic Kentucky Derby drink. Entertainment will include live music from a Dixieland band and a special musical guest. Other activities will include a silent auction, a 50/50 drawing, and a hat contest.
Formed in December 2008, the FAFSF provides critical financial support to FAFS. The fundraising efforts of the FAFSF help FAFS to fulfill its mission, and include supporting programs such as Fostering Wishes for Children, The Backpack Campaign, A Holiday Celebration for Every Child, Camp Scholarships, academic and independent living scholarships, and Bedtime for Children in Care. All of these programs rely on private donations to exist – none receive state or federal government funding. FAFS offers these programs at no cost to licensed resource families to improve the quality of life for children in their care.
Janet Farrand, President of the FAFS Foundation, says, “It is wonderful to work with an organization that truly makes a difference in the lives of children in foster care. These children, who have been removed from their homes for reasons of abuse or neglect, deserve a safe and nurturing home.”
“FAFS provides foster parents with training to handle uniquely challenging parenting situations, as well as offers emotional support and encouragement,” explains Farrand. “A stable and supportive foster home can make a tremendously positive impact on the outcome of a child’s life, so FAFS works tirelessly advocating for foster parents, helping them get the services and support they need to nurture children at risk in foster care.”
A Day at the Races: A Kentucky Derby Celebration to Support Children in Foster Care is an outdoor event. Tickets are $75 each and can be purchased online at www.fafsfoundation.org or by contacting Janet Farrand at 908-876-4419.