Family programs highlight issues involved with foster care

Newton — The Family Success Center at Project Self-Sufficiency has partnered with the Raise Me Up campaign to increase awareness of the benefits of becoming involved with the care of a foster child. The Raise Me Up campaign is an initiative of the Casey Family Programs, the largest national foundation whose sole mission is to advocate for children in foster care. The campaign’s message is simple, “You don’t have to raise a foster child to raise them up. You just have to raise your hand and say you’ll help.” Casey Family Programs and the New Jersey Department of Children and Families have launched a multi-media effort to highlight the problems that can affect children in foster care, such as mental illness, homelessness and prison, if they are unable to successfully reunify with their families, find another safe, loving and permanent family, or obtain the supports they need to strive as independent adults. Raise Me Up invites the public to get involved by simply visiting the Raise Me Up Web site at www.RaiseMeUp.org and clicking on the New Jersey tab. Interested people will be linked to a variety of options from mentoring to volunteering to becoming a foster parent, which are designed to help foster children and prevent child abuse and neglect in their own communities. The Family Success Center is a program of support offering information about health and nutrition, parenting skills training, economic self-sufficiency services, family activities, legal education, referrals, advocacy and other services. For information about the Raise Me Up campaign, log on to www.RaiseMeUp.org. For more about the Family Success Center, call 973-940-3500.