05/22/2026
Most people don’t realize this about foster care.
Not because they don’t care, but because foster care is one of those things many people don’t fully understand until they are personally connected to it.
Here in North Carolina, more than 10,000 children are in foster care. At the same time, there are only about 5,400–5,600 licensed foster homes statewide. That doesn’t mean every child needs a separate home, but it does show how real the need is for safe, stable, caring families.
And behind every number is a child.
A child going through a season they did not choose. A child who may be facing a new home, a new school, new routines, and new adults they are learning to trust. A child who needs safety, stability, and people who genuinely care.
Foster care is meant to be temporary. Its purpose is to provide a safe place for children when they cannot safely remain at home, while families work toward healing, reunification, or another permanent plan when reunification is not possible.
During Foster Care Month, we want to help our community better understand what foster care really is and why support matters so much.
Because when children in care become more than just numbers, we begin to see how much we all can do.
Foster care takes a community. Families, churches, neighbors, volunteers, advocates, and people willing to ask, “How can I help?”
If you would like to learn more about becoming a foster parent or ways to support children and families, click here: https://www.ach-nc.org/foster-care-information-sessions