Volunteer
There’s an opportunity for everyone to make a difference.
Why volunteer in foster care?
When you volunteer to support those impacted by foster care, it not only has a big impact on a child’s life, but it benefits your entire community – for years to come!
Create emotional well-being for kids
Help teens transition into adulthood
Reduce youth homelessness
Provide birth families support to heal
Improve educational outcomes for children
Encourage foster families and workers
Find foster care volunteer opportunities near you
You can volunteer at any level—from cooking a meal, to mentoring foster teens, to hosting an event—it all makes a difference!
One-time
Help with one-time foster care volunteer activities and projects to create awareness and lasting impact.
Ongoing
Meet ongoing needs and create lasting relationships with children in foster care and your community.
Donate
Donate personal items to families in need or offer your professional expertise to a local foster care program.
Volunteer options
Donate supplies
One-time
Support organizations
Foster families and non-profit organizations often need supplies like clothing and school supplies.
Foster families and non-profit organizations often need supplies like clothing and school supplies. There are many ways to donate supplies through partner organizations, including:
- Assembling welcome kits for children who are new to foster care. These kits provide activities and toys for children while they wait for placement.
- Filling a pack or bags for older teens and young adults with items like move-in supplies, gift cards, and snacks.
- Donating holiday gifts for foster children or volunteering to wrap and sort gifts at a gift drive or donation center.
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Help with events or projects
One-time
Work directly with kids and families
Support organizations
Organizations host fundraisers or events like Foster Parents’ Night Out, where foster parents have a chance to rest while their foster children enjoy fun activities.
Organizations host fundraisers or events like Foster Parents’ Night Out, where foster parents have a chance to rest while their foster children enjoy fun activities. You can volunteer with partner organizations to help with events, manage activities, and play games with children and youth.
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Direct work with children or advocacy
Work directly with kids and families
Ongoing
Are you interested in being a mentor or an advocate for children? There are options to work directly with or advocate for children in care.
Are you interested in being a mentor or an advocate for children? There are options to work directly with or advocate for children in care, including becoming a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer or mentoring a teenager or young adult.
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Provide administrative support
Support organizations
Ongoing
Organizations often need help with routine office tasks, like filing, mailing letters, or organizing donations.
Organizations often need help with routine office tasks, like filing, mailing letters, or organizing donations. This is also a great opportunity for those with photography or videography experience.
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Support social workers or foster families
One-time
Support organizations
Volunteers can wrap around current foster families, send special notes of encouragement to social workers, or show radical hospitality through thank you events and service opportunities.
Volunteers can wrap around current foster families, send special notes of encouragement to social workers, or show radical hospitality through thank you events and service opportunities.
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Volunteer with your organization
Work directly with kids and families
Support organizations
Ongoing
Many of our partners have volunteer opportunities for organizations and businesses.
Many of our partners have volunteer opportunities for organizations and businesses. Some opportunities include:
- Help recruit new foster families.
- Build a wrap-around team for foster families. These teams provide extra support and help fill in the gaps for families for one year or longer.
- Organize donation drives or events like gift drives or creating welcome kits.
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How it works
1
Share your volunteer interests
2
We’ll connect you with organizations that match
3
Begin volunteering!
1
Share your volunteer interests
2
We’ll connect you with organizations that match
3
Begin volunteering!
“I didn’t think of foster care in any way other than taking a child into our home until I helped a foster family and saw how valuable I could be by helping them and the child in their home.”
Janet
Volunteer
“CASA gives me the chance to be one more safe, healthy person who connects with a child and shows up for them. I do this even when my own plate is full because if not me, then who? If I carve out just a little extra time in my day, I can make a big difference.”
Amma
VOLUNTEER
“I love volunteering for DCS because it not only allows me to meet the needs of a child, but also to meet the needs of a social worker.”
Julie
VOlunteer
