May was National Foster Care Awareness Month and The Children’s Center led the way in shining a bright light on the need for more foster parents in Metro Detroit. More than 14,300 kids are in foster care on any given day in Michigan, so there is always a need for strong and nurturing foster homes. May is a chance to join the nation in educating the public about Metro Detroit youth living in foster care.

Blue Ribbon Campaign Launch

This May, The children’s Center led the charge in raising foster care awareness with its inaugural Blue Ribbon Campaign. The main event took place May 8 in Midtown Detroit in front of Great Lakes Coffee on the corner of Alexandrine and Woodward. About 100 volunteers tied more than 600 giant blue ribbons — the official symbol of Foster Care Awareness Month — on trees and lampposts up and down both sides of Woodward Avenue, all the way from Ferry Street to Grand Circus.

Local Media Coverage

To elevate awareness and educate the general public about the need for more foster parents throughout the month of May, The Children’s Center shared its campaign message – Foster Parents Change Lives. Be one. – with several local TV programs and media outlets including Stephen Henderson’s American Black Journal, WDIV Channel 4, CW50’s Street Beat, My TV20, and Crain’s Detroit. The Children’s Center plans to continue leading the charge each may with Blue Ribbon Campaign. The goal is to expand and grow participation each year and recruit foster care awareness ambassadors to help further spread the word about the need for more foster parents.

Online Engagement

The blue ribbon campaign was also promoted through social media and used the hashtag #BEAFOSTERPARENT. To illustrate the significant difference foster parents can make in the lives of foster youth, The Children’s Center invited three amazing individuals to share their success stories online. Click on the following names to learn more about their incredible stories. Devin Gough, Gail Perry-Mason and Veronica Wilkins.

Community Engagement

During the month of May, The Children’s Center also invited the general public to stop by and pick up a blue ribbon to take home and tie around a tree or display in their office to help raise awareness. A few local companies stepped up in a major way to help support the blue ribbon campaign. Hollingsworth Logistics volunteered to pre-assemble over 600 blue ribbons, and MetroPCS arrived at the Blue Ribbon Campaign kick-off with more than 25 volunteers from its staff to help tie ribbons. We are truly grateful for their support!

The Children’s Center was more than pleased with the results of the Blue Ribbon Campaign, as evidenced by the increase in number of telephone calls and emails received from potential foster parents.

We Need More Foster Parents – Spread the Word

The Children’s Center would like to remind everyone that the need for foster parents doesn’t begin and end in May, but continues all year long. Whether it’s fostering or mentoring a child, volunteering at The Children’s Center, or making much needed donations, YOU can make a difference in the life of a child.

To learn more about The Children’s Center and how you can help or become a foster parent, contact Shereen Allen-Youngblood or (313) 262-1119.

You can also learn more by following us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest!