Green Bay Packers receiver Ty Montgomery and his mother Lisa Frazier are attending an event in Milwaukee Wednesday to benefit foster children.
Frazier herself is a long-time foster parent, according to Oriana Carey, CEO of the Coalition for Children, Youth & Families.
The non-profit coalition also contracts with the state of Wisconsin to manage the state’s foster care recruitment, Carey said during an interview with TODAY’S TMJ4 Wednesday.
The entire month of May is National Foster Care Month, which provides an opportunity for the public to learn more about the needs of America’s children.
“Every two hours, a child in Wisconsin enters into foster care because of abuse, neglect, or alcohol and drugs in the home. This year alone, the Coalition for Children, Youth and Families projects the state will need 1500 NEW foster families just to keep pace with the need,” Carey said.
As the need for foster parents continues to grow in Southeast Wisconsin and beyond, challenges remain.
“When children and youth enter foster care, their life journeys can get stuck. They need the loving support of foster parents to encourage them, cheer them on, and make sure they can keep climbing towards their futures,” Carey said.
At Wednesday’s event, local kids will scale a rock wall on 12th and Walnut Streets in Milwaukee to kick off a foster parent recruitment campaign entitled "Life Interrupted."
“The rock wall, which will sit at the base of one of the campaign's billboards, signifies how youth can reach new heights with the help of foster parents,” she said.
Coalition resource specialists and foster parents will be on site to answer questions and talk with anyone interested in becoming a foster parent, Carey added.
The campaign features billboards, a website, and a television PSA, Carey noted.
The event is open to the public and starts at 4 p.m. and runs until 6:30 p.m.
