In 2019, the Children’s Bureau reported 423,997 children in foster care and 672,594 children served by the foster care system. Children who are in foster care are reported to have poorer physical and mental health compared to the general population. The Children’s Foundation of America (CFA) was created to provide support for the foster children of Trinity Youth Services (TYS) but has since grown to provide support to so many more organizations. In honor of National Foster Care Month, CFA would like to emphasize why the need to support children in foster care is important.  

In a study done by the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, “children placed in foster care endure a number of disadvantages, both because of the maltreatment they have endured and other risk factors associated with their placement, including poverty, parental drug and alcohol abuse, neighborhood disadvantage, and epigenetics.” Each of these disadvantages contribute to the mental and physical health of children in foster care.  

Children in foster care are far more likely to experience mental health issues such as depression/anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and behavioral/conduct problems. In addition, children in foster care are also more likely to experience physical health issues such as asthma, obesity, speech problems, and vision problems. The combination of mental and physical health issues further places these children in a position of need.  

In addition to possible mental health and physical issues, the disadvantages that children in foster care face also prevent them from experiencing opportunities such as receiving a birthday gifts, holiday gifts, riding a bike, receiving new school supplies, going to college, and many more experiences that children of privilege get to experience. This is also due to government funding only providing payments to foster parents for basic day-to-day necessities. 

CFA understands the gravity of importance that supporting children in foster care holds. We are committed to being the difference in the lives of children in foster care by supporting them through our annual and monthly campaigns. CFA has given bicycles to foster children, backpacks full of school supplies to disadvantaged students, scholarships to college-bound at-risk youth, and provided supplies for foster and adoptive children to create “life books” to document their happiest experiences as they create a better future.  

How to Get Involved

Enter to win a helicopter flight and support children in foster care! Donate $10 to support children in foster care for National Foster Care Month and get entered to a chance to win a helicopter flight! Learn to fly a helicopter with a hands on introductory demo valued at $450. 

Our winner will start off with 30 minutes of ground school with a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), then take to the skies for 30 minutes of hands-on flight instruction. You’ll get to manipulate the flight controls in the air and when you arrive back, Amaro Helicopters will take your photo in the cockpit and next to the helicopter. You will also be given a certificate with your logged flight time for you to proudly display. 

Must schedule and redeem flight by July 31, 2021. Must be over 18 years old and be able to travel to flight demo in Southern California. Contact donations@trinityys.org to coordinate within 7 days of winning. 

Enter Now!

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Isabel Millward-Pena, Communications Specialist
Isabel contributes content for our social media, blog, newsletters and promotional materials. She recently earned a bachelor’s degree in English from California State University San Bernardino and is currently working on her master’s degree. Isabel began working with our team as an intern and, luckily for us, never left. Prior to her work at CFA, she was a substitute instructional aid and a supervisor at Starbucks. She has also volunteered as an aid at local elementary schools and notably achieved “Partner of the Quarter” at Starbucks in 2017.