3. Social Services request to display ribbons for Foster Care Month

National Information- Ribbon Tying going on in many communities across Nation Each May, National Foster Care Month provides an opportunity for people all across the nation to focus attention on the year-round needs of American children and youth in foster care. The campaign raises awareness about foster care and encourages many more citizens to get involved in the lives of these youth—whether as their foster parents,volunteers, mentors, employers or in other ways. Campaign Goals •Raise awareness about the magnitude of the issue and the urgent and sustaining needs of children and older youth in foster care and their families; •Issue a national call-to-action that motivates, inspires and facilitates many more Americans to come forward and help change a lifetime for a young person in foster care; and, •Develop a positive framework for maintaining visibility and interest in the foster care issue to support the year-round efforts of the National Foster Care Month Partner organizations and other child welfare agencies. Foster Care Month also provides an opportunity for acknowledging the thousands of dedicated foster families and other caring individuals and organizations who are already supporting these young people. The National Foster Care Coalition hopes you will use this month to recognize this important and forgotten issue and these children. Local Information- Our Community The Red River Valley Foster Adopt Coalition (which involves Cass,Traill, Richland, Sargent, Ransom, Steele, PATH of ND,AASK Program, SEHSC& LSS) plan to tie ribbons around the trees on the West and East side of 10th Street(before the skywalk)on May 6. There will be one ribbon for each child placed in a foster care setting (approximately 235 ribbons). The ribbons will stay up from May 6to May 30. There will be a small ground sign near the Annex building to explain the ribbons. We hope to receive posters from the National Foster Month Coalition to put up at the Annex Building on 3rd floor on the bulletin board and at the Court House (if there is a bulletin board available and if we receive enough posters). In the past we have had TV crews there to do a story for the news that includes the need for foster homes. There is no guarantee a story will make it to the News stations or in the Forum due to what other news may be happening that day. Many people in the area know the significance of the blue ribbons as we have been putting them up in Fargo for at least 10 years.The ribbons remind those who have been thinking about doing foster care to come forward. There will also be ribbons tied on the trees at West Acres with information on their electronic sign that it is foster care month. The ribbons were not tied in front of the Annex Building during construction of the new Courthouse Building. Permission has been given by Scott Liudahl at the City of Fargo for the protection of the trees.