More than a number.

In the United States today, there is an average of 400,000 children in Foster Care.

400,000.

I have been quoting that stat for as long as I can remember.

400,000. Every time I say it, my heart drops, and I instantly feel paralyzed.

400,000. Paralyzed is the reaction I see many times when that stat is told as a recruitment strategy for foster/resource parents or volunteers. And after years of recruiting, training, and supporting families, it felt as if that number never moved.

400,000 is more than a number, though. Each number is connected to a name, a story, and a family. And just as the number, 400,000, creates a reaction, sympathy, fear, sadness, empathy, and anger, each story evokes an understanding, an awareness, and a reason to engage.

So how do we address this massive number? We realize that 400,000 is more than a number. We begin to shift our focus from the macro to the micro. When we focus on the macro, we can either feel overwhelmed or like we must do it all—neither of which is helpful. When we focus on the micro, we see it in the context of our daily lives, and in our community, as individuals rather than just numbers. And while the data is important, the stories are what move us to action.

It is one thing to be told the number of children and youth in foster care in your community; it is another to realize these are children and youth in our kid's schools, at our parks, on our kid's sports teams, and in our neighborhood. It brings an even deeper level of understanding when you are reading a bedtime story to a child, asking you when they are going back home. It is one thing to be told the statistics of why most children come into care (neglect); it is another to learn that the mother or father struggling with employment, addiction, or unresolved trauma is your community member and your neighbor. It brings an even deeper level of empathy to drive a parent to a job interview. It is one thing to support and provide resources; it is another to realize that the biggest area of need for children and youth in foster care and their families is the resource of community. It brings an even deeper level of connection to invite a biological parent to be a part of your small group.

Moving from 400,000 requires us to know the child welfare needs of our community. It starts with 1. What is 1 statistic about child welfare and the foster care system in your community that punches you in the gut? What’s 1 agency that is working to address that need in your community? Who is 1 former foster youth, biological family, or foster parent you can learn from? What is 1 way you can begin to engage? Moving from 400,000 starts with 1, and suddenly it is more than a number.

“We're not all called to do the same thing, but we are all capable of doing something!.... Everyone can do something!” Jason Johnson.