Community invited to Wa-Nee Foster Friendly Community Launch event

NAPPANEE, Ind. -- Indiana Kids Belong invites the community to attend the Wa-Nee Foster Friendly Community Launch event on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at Northwood High School Athletic Center.

Organizers say the Wa-Nee Community will celebrate becoming Indiana’s first official Foster Friendly Community.

Mayor Phil Jenkins will be in attendance to issue a proclamation, and business owners, church leaders, individuals, and families are encouraged to come and learn how they can get involved to make a difference.

Foster Friendly Communities are described as people-centric community initiatives that activate businesses, faith communities, non-profits, and elected leaders to create a community where foster families and kids thrive.

Participants are connected through the Foster Friendly App, according to Hannah Stutzman with Indiana Kids Belong.

"The goal is to engage businesses, churches, non-profits and our elected officials to acknowledge the importance of supporting and encouraging the recruitment and retention of foster families by offering the support of entire communities where foster parents feel supported and children in the foster care system have the opportunity to build deeply rooted long-term connections," Stutzman said.

She adds the Foster Friendly App connects foster and kinship families with business discounts, faith-based support programs, and existing non-profit services across the area.

The launch event will have food trucks, a bounce house, face painting, crafts, and a DJ.

The event will also celebrate foster families and social workers.

There will be several non-profit agencies, including DCS, CASA of Elkhart County, Village to Village International, Welcome Home Youth Ministries, SAFY, CarePortal, Josiah Whites, NYAP, and Indiana Kids Belong.

You can learn more and find updates about the event on the official Facebook event page.