‘Independent,’ Focus On The Family Team-Up For Foster Care

The Colorado Springs Independent and Focus on the Family are teaming up June 11 to celebrate and support area children in foster care and their families.

The free event will be from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Cornerstone Arts Center at Colorado College, 825 N. Cascade Ave. Focus on the Family President Jim Daly, a former foster child himself, will be the keynote speaker; Independent Publisher John Weiss will be the master of ceremonies.

“More than a few people around the Springs may be scratching their heads at this partnership, since Focus and the Indy don’t exactly see eye-to-eye on the issues,” Daly said. “But one thing John and I agree on wholeheartedly is what heroes foster families are and how important it is for the community to rally around them.”

?Our goal in teaming up with Focus is to bring community attention to the spiritual rewards local families get when they take in a foster child for a month or a year while their parent or parents get their acts together,? Weiss said. ?We also want to showcase the support healthy families can get from local nonprofits if they are willing to permanently adopt hard-to-place kids ? often those over 4 or 5 years of age and/or those with special mental or physical needs.?

The event is designed to inspire local nonprofits and churches wanting to help improve the lives of children in foster care, educate potential long- or short-term foster families and encourage current foster parents. In addition to Daly?s personal story, the event will feature workshops for current and potential foster families as well an informational expo. Foster parents who attend will get what Weiss described as ?gratitude bags? filled with gifts from Independent advertisers.

For more information about the event, 719-577-4545 or visit www.fostercelebration.org.