Often it starts with a sudden phone call, asking a grandparent or relative if they can foster a family member taken into care.
"it's usually an emergency situation, so they have to make a decision fairly quickly whether they are able to care for this child that needs them," explained Holly Carmody, the executive director of Angels Foster Care in Santa Barbara County. The non-profit has launched a new program to support those who don’t have much time to prepare for fostering.
"The family might be a bit overwhelmed, particularly at the time of placement and they could, perhaps, use extra support," she said.
Carmody said supporting the new carers gives the fostered children an opportunity to thrive in their kinship care home at a vulnerable time in their lives.
