Ready to share some Christmas spirit? Your gift helps meet the needs of families and children in foster care. Check out the options below to see some of the ways your investment makes a difference! Give to where is needed most with any amount or choose from items below to give to a specific fund.
Your gift will go directly to FFM to continue serve foster children and foster families in multiple ways. Most of the gifts included in this Christmas catalog are an estimate of what these resources or services cost. Full or partial gifts are helpful in continuing to minister to foster families and foster youth in our communities.
Thank you for your Giving Tuesday gifts for this catalog!
Suggested donation: $30
Fund: Foster Care Services
Some of the options for sensory support are below:
Give a child the warm fuzzies (literally!) with a Xander Friend. These super soft, lavender scented stuffed animals are amazing to help calm kids, and they especially help foster kids be able to sleep. Give the gift of peace and calm to a foster child in need.
Weighted blankets have grown in popularity in recent years. This small version of a weighted blanket is perfect for foster kids riding in the car, at school, and doing other activities. The glass beads inside the blanket provide a calming sensation and help foster kids especially when they are worried. This travel-size is a perfect option for everyday needs.
"In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8 NIV
Suggested donation: $100
Fund: TBRI Training
Trauma affects so many things, especially in little ones. Training foster parents, case-workers, community leaders, and churches what trauma does to kids and how to help is so important. FFM leads TBRI (trust based-relational intervention) sessions, holds Trauma-Informed Ministry seminars, and shares multiple other resources for dealing with and healing from trauma. Give the gift of wisdom, training, and tools to help fix the impact of trauma.
Suggested donation: $40
Fund: Church Partnership
FFM's Church Resource Kits are a great way start the conversation with local churches to partner and have more than enough homes for kids in foster care. This Church Resource Kit includes digital and paper PR materials, a t-shirt, FFM strategy information, videos to spread awareness and more. Give the gift of recognition to children in foster care and share their needs with local churches.
"Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’" Matt. 25:37-40 ESV
Suggested donation: $50
Fund: Foster Care Services
Fostering is a beautiful but hard journey, and support makes such a difference in keeping families fostering. This welcome box provides resources, tools, and training for new and continuing foster parents. Give the gift of encouragement to parents serving orphans in our communities.
"If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up." Ecc. 4:10 NIV
Suggested donation: $25
Fund: Foster Care Services
The day-to-day stresses of the foster care system are wearing. Case workers manage so much and facilities are often understaffed. Help meet the needs of kids in our communities by supporting those who help them. This kind of care provides encouragement and refreshment to case workers and professionals in the foster care world. Some examples include an appreciation lunch, sharing goodie bags, or connecting with agencies to say thank you.
Suggested donation: $98
Fund: Church Partnership
Did you know that about 50% of foster parents quit within the first year of fostering? But, if they have support, about 90% of foster parents continue fostering long term. Give the gift of training to support foster families and provide long-term solutions to helping kids in care. The Church Champion training costs $98 to learn the essentials of running foster care ministry in your church. Sponsor a Champion or two to provide church support for foster families and help connect them with the message of Jesus Christ and the gospel.
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27 NIV
Suggested donation: $150
Fund: Foster Care Services
Foster children face many hardships and sometimes have a financial need. Your sponsorship can allow kids to go to camp, help with material needs, or provide specialized resources for kids in care. Give the gift of inclusion, and allow foster children to work on their healing with support from FFM.
Enable FFM to Coach a Partner Church for 1 Year
Suggested donation: $3,000
Fund: Church Partnership
It is a sad truth that many churches in America are turning a blind eye to the foster crisis in our own country. If every church in American took one foster child, there would be no kids left in foster care. It is the mission of FFM to partner with local churches and help them raise up and support foster families to care for these precious children. Support includes: training, mentorship, resources, knowledge, Care Teams, and more.
This number reflects what one year of partnership approximately costs. The ongoing support and connections with local foster agencies builds the bridge between churches and fostering. FFM helps by providing the pieces of connection, supporting those who serve, and encouraging others to get involved.
Suggested donation: $100 per month
Fund: General Fund
Are you inspired by the mission of Fostering Family Ministries to connect the church with the foster care crisis, to work to raise up safe, loving foster homes and to share the gospel? Maybe you are touched by the ongoing support for foster parents in the trenches or you just want to see the church step up more. Join The Home Team, our team of monthly givers who support FFM and the effort to give the gift of HOME for many children.
Foster/Kinship Parent's Night Out
Suggested donation: $50
Fund: Foster Care Services
Give the gift of a break! Foster and kinship parents often serve 24/7 and some time away is a good thing for continued care in healthy families. Finding childcare for foster kids presents a whole new struggle. Encourage a couple to have dinner out, watch a movie, or take some time to recharge. FFM partners with local churches, and hosting a "Parent's Night Out" seems to be a new favorite way to serve!
Suggested donation: $100
Fund: Foster Care Services
Sponsor an event of connection and encouragement. One participant attended and remarked something like, "Can we have more of these?" Give the gift of companionship as foster and kinship parents come alongside each other to share their stories and build community.
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Gal. 6:2 ESV
Suggested donation: Any amount
Fund: General Fund or fund of your choice
One of the biggest things about foster care is the ever-changing aspects. Needs often come with a very short timeline to get things in order. Give the gift of meeting needs this Christmas season and help where it is needed most for foster and kinship families in conjunction with Fostering Family Ministries.
"God places the lonely in families..." Ps. 68:6 NLT