Our FAMILY CARE area now consists of BOTH our Foster Care and Forever Families areas as they were previously. We hope our new layout makes this much easier to understand and to partner with us. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us. Welcome!
An introduction to foster care and the community. Learn how YOU can become the village for children in our local child welfare system.
Children's Lantern believes that foster children + families thrive when a community of supporters are rallied around them.

Every child needs a village, so what does that look like?
It looks like loving foster parents, supportive caseworkers, understanding teachers/mentors, informed childcare providers and caregivers, foster "grandparents", a church family, and friends, family, and an incredible community to stand beside our foster families.

Would you like to learn how YOU can make a difference in a foster child's life? Would you consider becoming the Village? We would love if you could!

Please join Children's Lantern & FCC on Friday, November 15th from 6-8pm at Family Christian Center. Light refreshments provided. All are encouraged and welcome to attend!

FOSTER CARE

What We Do

Our Hope House provides children placed in foster care with emergency needs such as hygiene items, brand new pajamas, socks and underwear. We also give gift cards for crucial needs such as shoes, coats and clothing. We give filled backpacks to children for school at our annual Back to School Bash. We facilitate a secret Facebook group of mostly local Foster Moms (moms only at this time, sorry dads) to use as an encouragement and source of support with get-togethers as an added bonus. *NEW* We have weighted blankets for those that need them! 

The Stats

  • There are roughly 12,500 kids in care in the state of Ohio an a daily basis
  • In the United States, a child is goes into care about every two minutes
  • There are 2,500 kids in Ohio waiting to be adopted

What You Can Do

  • Donate new socks, underwear, pj’s and hygiene items
  • Organize a collection for the items above​
  • Become an alternate caregiver (caring for a child for less than 24 hours)
  • Have you or your church support the foster care program with a $50/month donation

Meet Abbie Phillips, Family Care Coordinator

Hello! My name is Abbie Phillips.  I am the Family Care Coordinator here at Children’s Lantern.  Family Care is near and dear to my heart for a few reasons. I have been a foster parent since 2015, and have cared for over 20 children and counting. Some children stay for a few days and some for a few months..and 3 will stay with me forever because of adoption. Previous to accepting this job position, I was on the receiving end of Children’s Lantern. They have provided my foster children with basic necessities such as new pajamas and clothes, shoes, socks, undies and toiletries. As a foster and adoptive parent, every little bit of support helps- and Children’s Lantern has been a tremendous support to our foster care community.

Now, I get to be on the giving end of Children’s Lantern.  I get to come along side of foster and adoptive families and support them in whatever ways I can, because of the work we do at Children’s Lantern.  Children’s Lantern provides more than clothing and toiletry items to foster children.  We have and are continuing to build a supportive foster care community who thrives on connection and becoming a village to children in our local child welfare system.

I am so thankful for the work we do here at Children’s Lantern because foster families, adoptive families, and the children we serve in our local area truly deserve all the support that our incredible community can offer. I encourage you to contact me at familycare@childrenslantern if you would like to learn more about how you can join us in our efforts of reaching “the least of these”.