Burlington United Methodist Family Services, Inc- Foster Care

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Keyser, WV
Burlington United Methodist Family Services, Inc- Foster Care

Specialized Foster Care: Providing comprehensive services to vulnerable children, youth and families. Children served are of all races and religions.

The foster care program provides services to children, birth to 18 years of age, who may have suffered from abuse and neglect and who may have emotional or physical challenges or other circumstances which make them unable to live with their family of origin. Foster families are needed for the program and the agency recruits families on an ongoing basis. The agency needs families who can provide sa

fety, stability, and love to a child who may be in the custody of the State. While the main goal is to keep children safe while keeping the child in their home; sometimes this is not possible. When a child has to be removed from their home, the ultimate goal is to promote change within the family so that the safety concerns in the home are alleviated and the child can be returned to their family. While the family is working to make their environment safe once again, the child is in need of a foster family to help ensure the child’s emotional and physical needs are being met. It is important to keep these children in their own communities. Due to the shortage of foster parents in all counties in WV, children are being placed in neighboring counties. This removes the children not only from their parents, but also from their schools and their friends. Criteria for a foster parent:
-At least 21 years of age and no older than 65
-Good physical and emotional health
-Stable family relationships
-Ability to manage family financial obligations
-Willingness to undergo required background checks and child abuse clearances
-Willingness to participate in initial and ongoing trainings
-Openness to issues of working with child's birth families
-Understanding the unpredictability of foster care: it may be temporary or may require the family to make a permanent commitment to the child
-Flexibility

Services provided for the foster family:
-Individualized orientation, initial and ongoing training
-Supportive services from a treatment coordinator
-Monthly financial assistance to defray costs
-Assess to respite care services; if needed
-Other services as needed

*Help us spread the word that foster parents are greatly needed*

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all of Burlington’s amazing foster moms. 💐

Thank you for opening your hearts and homes to children who need love, safety, and support. Your patience, compassion, and selflessness make a difference every single day. The care you give may not always be seen by everyone, but the impact you have on these children’s lives is immeasurable.

Today we celebrate YOU and all the love you pour into fostering hope and healing. ❤️

05/05/2026

Supporting the mental health of children in foster care isn’t about having all the answers…it’s about showing up 💚

Kids in care have often walked through trauma, loss, and uncertainty. What they need most are safe, steady people who are willing to listen, stay patient, and remind them they are not alone.

You don’t have to be perfect to make a difference:
• Sit with them in the hard moments
• Validate their feelings
• Be consistent, even when it’s tough
• Celebrate the small wins
• Remind them they are worthy of love and stability

Sometimes the biggest impact comes from the simplest things…being present, being kind, and being someone they can trust.

Healing takes time, but with the right support, foster kids can grow, heal, and thrive.

Be the safe place. Be the calm. Be the difference 💚

05/04/2026

You don’t have to be “special” to be a foster parent.
You don’t need a perfect house, endless patience, or all the answers.

You just have to be willing.

Willing to open your door.
Willing to listen.
Willing to show up on the hard days and celebrate the small wins.
Willing to love a child who needs safety more than perfection.

Foster parents aren’t superheroes…they’re ordinary people who choose to do something extraordinary: say yes when a child needs a safe place to land.

If you’ve ever thought, “I’m not special enough to foster,” maybe the truth is this:
You don’t have to be special…just willing.

05/03/2026

May is also Mental Health Awareness Month 💚

Mental health matters for every child…but especially for children in foster care.

Many of the kids in care have experienced trauma, loss, and uncertainty at a young age. What we sometimes see as “behaviors” are often really expressions of hurt, fear, or unmet needs. Behind every reaction is a story that deserves compassion, not judgment.

Healing doesn’t happen overnight. It happens through safe relationships, consistency, patience, and people who show up…again and again.

If you’re a foster parent, caseworker, teacher, or support system: your presence matters more than perfection. Listening matters. Showing up matters. Being a safe place matters.

And if you’re a child or teen in care reading this…you are not too much, and your story is not too broken. You are worthy of love, stability, and healing.

Let’s continue to advocate, support, and speak up…for their mental health, their voices, and their futures 💚

05/01/2026

May is Foster Care Awareness Month 💙

This month is about shining a light on the children and teens in foster care, the families who open their homes, and the workers, advocates, and communities who show up every single day.

Foster care isn’t just a system…it’s real kids with real stories. Kids who need safe places to land, patient hearts to guide them, and adults willing to remind them that they matter.

You don’t have to be perfect to make a difference. You can support foster care by becoming a foster parent, offering respite care, mentoring a child, supporting foster families, or simply learning more and spreading awareness.

Every child deserves to feel safe, valued, and loved.
Every child deserves a place to belong.

This May, wear blue, share the message, support foster families, and help be the village that children in foster care need. 💙

04/27/2026

Here are simple ways you can support the foster care community this year, no matter your season of life:
🩵Encourage a caseworker - write a note, drop off snacks, say "thank you!"
🩷Bring a meal to a foster family - homemade, freezer meal, or DoorDash gift card.
💛Meet a practical need - diapers, clothing, beds, car seats, school supplies...
💚Offer transportation - rides to appointments, visits, therapy or school.
❤️Provide babysitting or respite - give a foster family a much-needed break.
💜Support a biological parent - encouragement, practical help, mentorship, prayer.
🧡Volunteer at your local agency - organizing, cleaning, sorting donations, events.
💙Start a prayer rhythm - pray weekly for children, families, and caseworkers.
🖤Give financially - fuel local support for families and caseworkers.

04/25/2026

April is Child Abuse Awareness Month:
A time to stand up, speak out, and show up for children who need us most. 💙

Behind every blue pinwheel is a child who deserves to feel safe, protected, and loved. Some children experience things no child ever should, and when their homes are no longer safe, foster care becomes a place of refuge, healing, and hope.

Foster care isn’t just about providing a bed…it’s about providing stability, patience, and unconditional care while children and families work toward healing. It’s about showing children that safe adults do exist and that their story does not end with their trauma.

This month, and every month, let’s remember:
Every report made, every foster home opened, every advocate who speaks up…it all matters.

Child abuse prevention starts with awareness, but it continues with action…supporting families, strengthening communities, and protecting children.

Every child deserves a safe childhood. Every child deserves to feel seen, heard, and protected. 💙

04/24/2026

Foster kids are still just kids.

They still want bedtime stories and extra snacks.
They still laugh at silly jokes and need help tying their shoes.
They still get nervous on the first day of school and proud when they learn something new.

Yes, they may carry big feelings, hard stories, and fears they don’t always know how to explain…but underneath it all, they are children who deserve patience, kindness, and the chance to just be kids.

They deserve sleepovers, birthday candles, scraped knees, second chances, and someone who shows up for them again and again.

So when you see a foster child, remember…you’re not seeing a case file, a behavior, or a label.
You’re seeing a child who needs love, stability, and grace… just like any other kid. 💙

03/31/2026

Thanks to the generous donations from community of Beckley, the Beckley Crossing Krogers, and Kim Milam, our Beckley Foster Care ladies spent hours making sure the Easter Bunny gets to every child and were able to fill at least 70 Easter baskets for our foster kids and Safe at Home children!!

Address

539 New Creek Hwy And 4700 Robert C. Byrd Drive Beckley
Keyser, WV
26726

Telephone

(304) 788-2342

Website

https://bumfs.org/foster-care/

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