Foster families say yes. Let’s help them keep saying yes.
At Springs of Love, we are building a culture of fostering and adoption in the Catholic Church so no family walks alone.
Across the country, families are saying yes:
- Yes to welcoming children into their homes.
- Yes to loving children through difficult stories.
- Yes to a call that is both beautiful and demanding.
But saying yes is only the beginning. Too many families step away not because they are unwilling, but because they are alone.
We believe the Church is called to something more.
Nearly 400,000 children are in foster care right now.
And about 20,000 young people age out of the system every year without a family. Many face serious outcomes, including vulnerability to trafficking, homelessness, and addiction, and fewer than 60% graduate high school.
~400,000
children in foster care in the U.S. right now
20,000
age out each year without a permanent family
<60%
of foster youth graduate high school
50–70%
of foster families step away within the first two years
At the same time, 50-70% of foster families step away within the first two years, most often because they lack the support and community needed to persevere. The issue is not a lack of love. It is a lack of community and consistent support.
A clear pathway to long-term support.
At Springs of Love, we are building a simple, parish-based pathway so families are not left to walk this road alone.
We are:
- Launching parish-based chapters across the country
- Hosting annual gatherings to connect local families
- Starting Building Belonging small groups to deepen community
- Partnering with dioceses to identify and reach families
- Working with local Knights of Columbus councils to raise awareness and support
- Raising up leaders within parishes to walk with families over time
Our model is simple:
STEP 1
Awaken
Short films, parish events, and outreach invite Catholics to understand the foster care crisis.
STEP 2
Discern
Be Not Afraid, Date Nights, and small groups help couples prayerfully explore their call, both personally and alongside others.
STEP 3
Form
Building Belonging small groups provide spiritual and practical formation in community.
STEP 4
Support
Local chapters and Care Teams walk alongside families with ongoing support.
13
active chapters across 9 states
11 more
launching in 6 additional states
We are inviting you to be part of this mission.
You may be called to foster or adopt.
You may be called to support a family.
You may be called to help build this in your parish or diocese.
Or you may feel called to support this work.
What your gift does:
| $150 | Makes it possible for one family to participate in a Building Belonging small group, connecting them to the support and community they need |
| $250 | Trains and equips a small group leader to walk alongside families who are discerning, currently fostering, or have adopted |
| $1,000 | Supports a Building Belonging group, helping a small community of families grow in connection and support |
| $3,000 | Sustains a full year of ministry for one Springs of Love chapter, supporting small groups and Care Teams so no family walks alone |
| $7,500 | Helps establish a Springs of Love presence in a new diocese, supporting leadership training, initial chapter development, and outreach that identifies and connects families across the region |
National Foster Care Month is here. Many families are still fostering alone, waiting for a community to walk with them.
There are many ways to be part of this.
Some people who read this will feel called to foster or adopt. Springs of Love will be there to walk with them every step of the way. But most people who support this work serve in a different way, by bringing a meal, sending an encouraging text at the right moment, and making sure a family never has to ask twice.
That is not a smaller role. It is what makes everything else possible. A family that feels known and supported stays. A family that stays helps a child find stability and belonging.
This is how it begins.
