Why Foster Kids Need Your Help in Northern Colorado

It's National Foster Care Month, and nonprofit organization Project 1.27 is out to help the children of Northern Colorado, but they need your help.

Project 1.27's mission is to provide every child in Colorado with a safe and loving home and President, Shelly Radic, told "Tuned In to NoCo" that this need is growing.

"Right now we are at around 400 children in foster care who need adoptive families — it's been growing the last couple of years. In Colorado, we have about 1,900 foster families in the whole state, and we have 3,000 kids in foster care. So you can see the shortage there."

Get our free mobile app

Project 1.27 provides training and certification for prospective families/individuals and Radic says anyone over 21-years-old can apply.

"You don't have to be a parent already or have a big house or anything like that — just a bedroom space for a kid. We want people all across NoCo to know that there are kids in their community that could use great foster and adoptive families."

Radic says that about 30 hours of training is required because they want you to be fully prepared to welcome a child into your home.

"There's a lot of training involved because we want families to be able to understand: how the foster care system in Colorado works, what are the kids like and the families like that they'll be serving, and what are some of the reasons they came into care and how you as a parent help them heal."

Radic says the first thing to consider when becoming a foster parent is your own capacity, but if you aren't in a position to welcome a child into your home there are many other ways you can help.

"Everybody can get involved in some way. From bringing a meal to dropping off something at one of the foster closets to considering coming to info night next Tuesday night and learning more."

Radic says they are here to help and protect the children of Colorado and all that the kids really need is you.

"One of our kiddos, who was getting ready to be adopted into her foster family, I asked her what would you tell people?...she said, tell them kids in foster care need you."

For more information on how you can help click here or to donate brand new or gently used items to a foster closet near you, email Project 1.27 at info@project127.org.

To hear the full interview check out the link below.