Support Special-Needs Children in Foster Care

What is a Foster Family? A foster family is a temporary living solution for an at-risk child whose biological family is not able to care for him or her. The foster family cares for the child's physical, emotional, and educational development and well-being. Children are referred to foster care either via a court order or voluntarily - when their biological family understands that they are not capable of properly caring for their children. Research has proven that a foster family is the optimal solution for a child removed from his or her home. The Summit Institute is responsible for foster care in the South and Jerusalem areas of Israel and oversees the care of almost 800 foster children in 550 foster families - as well as 13 emergency shelter foster families who are on-call to receive a child 24/7, day or night. Approximately 20% of Summit's foster children are defined as physically or mentally disabled. They face the double challenge of their disability and growing up in foster care. Summit believes that they need more in order to overcome their difficult beginnings and have the opportunity for a healthier, happier, and more stable future. Your help is essential in enabling Summit to provide the "extra" these foster children - and the families fostering them - require. A donation of 50 shekels helps the Summit Institute provide professional guidance and support to families fostering a special-needs child. The support is provided by a certified social worker who is fluent in the details surrounding the circumstances of the special-needs foster child and of the family doing the fostering. This support helps the foster families take better care of their special-needs foster child: the families receive additional information and are guided in making decisions regarding the child's disability (ie. regarding the educational framework or supplemental therapies). The professional guidance also facilitates the creation of a stronger bond between the special-needs foster child and his or her foster family. A donation of 100 shekels enables Summit to provide provide a special-needs foster child with an additional, specialized rehabilitative service: an additional therapy session, private lesson, or other service - each child according to his or her individualized needs. Each 100 shekel donation provides one rehabilitative treatment for a special-needs child in foster care. A donation of 180 shekels allows Summit to provide amplified professional guidance to families fostering a special-needs child and undergoing a crisis. This additional professional guidance empowers the foster family to overcome the incredible challenge of fostering a special-needs child and continue to provide a warm and stable home for the special-needs foster child to grow and flourish in. The additional support in times of crisis prevents the collapse of the foster family and placement of the special-needs child in an institution. Together, we can help families create warm homes for special-needs foster children. Together, we can give more - more treatments, more services, more support, and more love - to foster children with special needs.