Right now in the United States, more than 500,000 children are living in emergency shelters, foster homes, group homes, and residential treatment centers. More than 3,000 are Dallas County children, and on any given day in Georgia, about 8,700 children are in the foster care system. These children come from a past of abuse, neglect and/or abandonment, and Child Protective Services (CPS) has removed them from their biological homes. They have not only suffered abuse, but tragic loss as they are suddenly separated from their parents, brothers and sisters, their school, friends, and basically everything that is familiar. Children in foster care face many obstacles. They often don’t have a sense of belonging, are more likely to be economically disadvantaged, at risk for dropping out of school and are not afforded the educational and normalcy opportunities of their peers.

The Defining Opportunity Program is an innovative new program that has been designed to nurture each participating foster child’s ability to succeed. KBCF will provide the tools to further develop the strengths, gifting and natural abilities they have in sports, music, arts and scouting. The extracurricular activities that KBCF fund would otherwise not be available to these children. Their involvement in these special opportunities will help them expand their horizons, build self-esteem/self-worth, give them something that they can call their own and provide them a chance to develop their talents and pursue their dreams.

We believe that we have the opportunity to transform the lives of the foster children who participate.

The foundation is currently serving foster children at the Georgia Baptist Children’s Home and is collaborating with agencies in North Texas, including Dallas Casa, to serve the needs of foster children in North Texas. If you are interested in becoming a collaborative partner or submitting a request for a foster child, please contact Lori Sirmen at lori@kbcf.org.