FRANKFORT, Ky. — Governor Matt Bevin is challenging Kentucky faith communities to “step up” and help foster kids.
As nearly one thousand faith and government leaders bowed their heads and prayed at the Annual Prayer Breakfast, some clutched cards with pictures and information about children in Kentucky's foster care system. They prayed the kids would find loving foster or "forever homes.”
There are a startling number of children who need help. Governor Bevin said nearly 10,000 need a good foster family and more than 2,500 are eligible for adoption. Some of them are children expecting children of their own.
The governor recognized Pam Smith of All God’s Children for her work with pregnant teens.
"That's where God hit me in the very beginning. It's like if we are going to stand and be pro-life then let's stand on that side of it too when they're in the middle of a crisis and they need support. They need love. Then that's just where God planted us,” Smith said.
The point counters an argument Mrs. Smith and others have heard in recent years as Kentucky lawmakers have passed a series of pro-life bills targeting abortion. Opponents accuse supporters of not truly caring about children because the laws don't focus on what happens after a child is born to a woman who may consider terminating the pregnancy.
“These people don't care about children before they're born or after they're born but it's easy to get on social media and snark on those who want to defend human life,” Gov. Bevin said.
After the prayer breakfast WHAS11’s Chris Williams asked Governor Bevin about that counter-point and kinship care bills that have also passed in the last two years offering options for extended family and friends to foster children in the system, making funds available for family members who take on the responsibility, allowing fostered teens to get a driver's license and setting aside visitation for separated siblings in the foster system.
“How can we not find one foster home for every 1 1/2 churches in Kentucky. How can we not find one home for a child to be adopted out of every 2 1/2 churches? What are people going to church for? What are you going to church for if you don't actually take your faith seriously enough? And I don't care what your faith is. I don't care what your religion. The reality is I would be willing to bet whatever house of worship you go into, if you're watching this, you’re probably going in there and talking about caring for the least of these, taking care of others treating people the way you would want to be treated in some form or fashion. That is the base tenant of every single organization of religion in this country. And to that end, I would encourage people, put your faith into action, step up and put your arms around the children of Kentucky because they need it,” Gov. Bevin said.
FOSTER CARE RESOURCES