May is quickly approaching, and it is National Foster Care Month. In recognition of children in foster care and of the foster parents that care for them, here are some things that you can do in your local community to help raise awareness:

Tell youth that you know or work with, about Casey Family Programs and the Orphan Foundation of America. These two organizations have many resources for foster youth, including scholarship opportunities and lifeskills programs.

Let members of your community know about ways they can help support youth in foster care. If we all do a little bit, we can make a big change.

Contact local elected officials by email, mail, phone or fax, and let them know about a great foster parent or foster child in your community. Request that May is proclaimed national foster care month.

National Foster Care Month is a partnership of Casey Family Programs; Annie E. Casey Foundation/Casey Family Services; Black Administrators in Child Welfare; Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Child Welfare League of America; Connect for Kids; Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative; APHSA/National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators; National Association of Social Workers; National CASA; National Foster Care Coalition; National Foster Parent Association; and the National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning at the Hunter College School of Social Work, a Service of the Children’s Bureau.

Sponsor or take part in an event that draws awareness to foster care. Invite foster families and members of the business community to take part. Maybe some new contacts can be made to support foster youth.

Write a letter to the editor of your local paper, letting them know about the difficulties foster youth face when they age out of the system. Mention the fact that additional foster families are always needed.

Sponsor a sibling group for a week at Camp to Belong, a non-profit that reunites siblings that are in separate placements, in a week-long camp setting.

Tell everybody that you know about ways that they can support foster families. Maybe you know of someone that has experience dealing with difficult kids, or that can be a resource for a foster family.

For more information and ideas, visit the National Foster Parent Association.