Officials seek help during National Foster Care Month

SARASOTA — In the middle of National Foster Care Month, the All Star Children’s Foundation is going to give a guided tour of its Sarasota campus.

Located at 3300 17th St. in Sarasota, officials involved noted it is “urgently seeking compassionate individuals and families” to become foster parents.

“All Star’s Campus of Hope & Healing offers large, fully furnished, rent-free homes and provides an extensive range of support, training, and guidance to ensure foster parents are well-prepared to meet the needs of children in foster care,” a news release stated.

Officials are looking at assisting with foster care for about 391,000 youth in foster care, it noted.

It stated about 20,000 age out of the foster care system every year without a permanent family. In the region, there are about 115 foster homes; prior to COVID-19, there were about 200.

That has become a challenge, officials stated.

“Our commitment is to equip foster parents with comprehensive support so they can create a nurturing environment where children can thrive,” All Star Children’s Foundation CEO Denise Marzullo stated in the news release.

Anyone interested in foster care can visit All Star Campus of Hope & Healing for a guided tour at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 16.

For more information, visit www.allstarchildren.org.

“We hope you will join us in our mission to provide every child with the love, safety, and stability they need during challenging times,” Marzullo stated. “Your commitment can profoundly impact the lives of children and foster a brighter future for our community.”