500,000 children are moved to and through the foster care system each year.
The average age of a child entering foster care is 6.
46% of kids spend 1-3 years in foster care.
Foster care often includes multiple home and institution placements, sometimes within the same year or even month.
20,000+ children age out of foster care every year with little to no support.
Imagine turning 18 and having no family, no brothers or sisters and no mentors to turn to.
The folks at One Simple Wish have made it their work to connect foster children and their families with those of us who may not be able to take in a child, but who are looking for simple ways to help.
For children who’ve been victims of abuse, neglect and abandonment, something as small as a video game or an experience like a trip to a theme park can make the world of a difference.
In 2006, Danielle and her husband, Joe, became foster adoptive parents in New Jersey and since then their lives changed forever. They fell in love with the children they met in the foster care system and created a way for more people to support them in simple yet meaningful ways. Believing that these children deserved their voices, Danielle and Joe invested their own money in creating One Simple Wish in 2008 and have since become passionate advocates for children in foster care and those that have been impacted by the system. In March 2013, Danielle was named a CNN Hero for her work supporting kids in foster care.
On the One Simple Wish website, you can browse through hundreds of wishes posted on behalf of foster children and at-risk youth all over the United States and find one that speaks to your heart and your budget. All wishes are under $500 with most range from $10–$100.
You can also contribute time, by:
- Writing thank you notes
- Attending and running Wish Parties throughout the country
- Participating in virtual and in-office Wish-A-Thons
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