SANTA BARBARA COUNTY — Do you remember that good feeling you experienced seeing a family member cheering you on during those monumental moments in your life? With that said, every child deserves someone cheering for them on the sideline and supporting them through life’s biggest moments, but many youth in foster care lack loving homes to provide this kind of stability and encouragement.
In an effort to raise awareness and support for the 350 youth in foster care in Santa Barbara County, Our County, Our Kids, a program of Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services, is building its relationships with local schools, families, and youth.
As part of this outreach collaboration, members of the Our County, Our Kids recruitment team from Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties will be on site Friday, Sept. 28, as the St. Joseph Knights and Arroyo Grande Eagles play their annual game, showcasing the talent of student athletes in the area.
People attending the game who are interested in learning more about becoming a resource for local foster children and youth are encouraged to stop by the Our County, Our Kids booth for additional details on fostering, adopting, mentoring, and other ways to support local youth in foster care. They will also be hosting a t-shirt toss during the game as well.
“We’re excited to partner with St. Joseph High School in this unique and very special way,” said Gustavo Prado, Our County. Our Kids. Department Specialist at Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services. “We hope families will be encouraged to open their homes and hearts for foster youth in need.”
Additional details will also be available at our upcoming Our County, Our Kids Resource Family Orientation meetings in Santa Maria on October 2 (in English) and Santa Maria on October 16 (in Spanish). For meeting details, visit http://ourcountyourkids.org/
Event Information:
- Who: Our County. Our Kids, A Program of Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services, St. Joseph High School and Arroyo Grande High School
- What: St. Joseph Knights and Arroyo Grande Eagles football game
- When: Friday, Sept. 28, at 4 p.m.
- Where: St. Joseph High School, 4120 South Bradley Road, Santa Maria, CA
About Our County. Our Kids: A program of the Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services (SBC DSS). It is the SBC DSS resource family recruitment, retention, and support program. Visit www.ourcountyourkids.org/sbc for more information.