May is National Foster Care Month, which is a time to celebrate the families who provide a vital role in the safety net for children who have suffered from maltreatment. Foster families across our community provide safe and loving homes for children who need love and support the most.

Among organizations that serve children and families, there is growing emphasis on services to help families stay together so that foster care does not become necessary — services such as counseling for parents and children and classes that give parents strategies and tools to manage their children’s behaviors. Over the last several years, policymakers have put increased emphasis on efforts to prevent abuse and preserve families, knowing the trauma that is often caused when a child is removed from a familiar environment, even when that environment causes harm.