MILWAUKEE — From mental health services to child and family well-being, WellPoint Care Network in Milwaukee is working to make sure kids grow up with the care and support they need and deserve.
"Being jarred out of your normal life, whether it was traumatic or not, it's a big change and so we try to keep those positive things consistent as best we can," said WellPoint Director of Community Engagement Alex Williams.
One of the organization's biggest goals is to keep foster kids within their own communities whether it's placing them with a relative or with a foster family from the same neighborhood.
"The majority of the youth that come into our care are placed with a family member," Williams said. "And we're trying our hardest to recruit foster families that are from the communities that the young people are from so it's not a lost connection. We're not displacing a young person, they can still go to their same school, they can still have their same circle of friends, they can recognize the community landmarks in the area."
But, in order to do that, they need people from every neighborhood and every background in Milwaukee to make what Williams calls the "noble choice" of being a foster parent.
"There's the need for culturally competent adults who understand, who are empathetic to their situation, who have seen these situations in the community before and know how to help in those situations," Williams explained.
WellPoint identified eight zip codes in Milwaukee that are most in need of foster families: 53204, 53206, 53208, 53209, 53210, 53215, 53216, 53218. If you live in one of these zip codes, Williams wants you to consider signing up to be a foster parent.
"You're saving a life. You're helping a family and young people to thrive. You're improving a situation. You're helping to keep young people in their communities to grow up and become the future leaders of those communities," Williams said.
You can contact WellPoint for more information on how to become a foster parent. The organization is also having an informational session on Friday, May 5 at 4 p.m.
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