Foster the City
We are excited to be partnered in ministry with Foster the City!
Foster the City (FTC) is a coalition of churches with the vision to have at least one foster family in every church until every child has a home and there is a waiting list of loving families ready to take in more children. The FTC ministry at VFC has an amazing opportunity to show Christ to the families and youth of Santa Cruz through prayer and support. At any given time in Santa Cruz County, approximately 250 children and youth need foster or adoptive homes (according to the County of Santa Cruz Human Services Department).
The Foster the City model includes a church advocate, resource families (aka foster families), support friends, and financial donors. Our goal is for each resource family at VFC to have a team of support friends who have committed to walking alongside the family, praying often, providing for a tangible need every month, and fulfilling needs as they arise.
AS A CONGREGATION, WE FEEL LED TO RESPOND TO THIS NEED, USING FOSTER THE CITY’S MODEL TO:
PRAY OFTEN: We commit to praying for children in foster care, the children’s biological families, foster families, social workers, therapists, court-appointed special advocates (CASA’s), and the many others who serve children in foster care. If you are in this group of people—we would love to know your specific prayer needs!
RAISE UP RESOURCES FAMILIES: We would love to see people at VFC responding to the call to foster, as God leads, sharing their home and family with children in foster care. If you are already a foster family, please let us know. We would love to support you!
SUPPORT FOSTER FAMILIES: We want to provide foster families with consistent support through teams of individuals from within our congregation who commit to pouring into foster families, enabling them to foster better for longer.
Get involved!
If you’re interested in serving with this ministry, your first step is to fill out our Serving on Mission Part 1 application, as everyone does who serves in any capacity here at VFC. Next, you will attend an interest meeting where you will learn more about Foster the City and the different opportunities to take part in.
To learn more about Foster the City, please visit: https://fosterthecity.org
If you have any questions, please seek out Bethany Coffer, our Foster the City advocate and member of our local compassion core team. She brings a wealth of wisdom and experience to this ministry, and would be happy to chat with you.
Foster the City advocates are members of the local participating congregation who oversee FTC volunteers within the congregation and make sure that the ministry is an active part of our Sunday rhythms.