Rural Foster Care

  There's this awesome 14-year-old girl in our programs who has needed significant medical attention over the last year. A couple of incredibly intense surgeries, another two trips to facilities for mental health crises - all many miles, hours, and ferry rides away to access treatments. 

  Each time she has needed medical care, and all of the many subsequent follow-up appointments, she has had to make this long journey from Port Angeles to the urban side of the sound (usually about three hours one-way).

  Her foster parents have been able to make most of the big appointments with her, but they have jobs, obligations, and other kids in the home that they are beholden to as well. This added care is a huge burden.

  Caregivers are asked to do the impossible sometimes...be in multiple places at once and parent kids who have been through so much hurt and dysfunction. So when Olympic Angels volunteers and Case Managers see an opportunity to ease the burden on the family or soften stress for a child, they say YES. 

  For this youth, when her foster parents haven't been able to take her to appointments, her Olympic Angels mentor has been able to step in.

  Even on the days that start at 5:30am in the car, they have some of their best conversations. Heartfelt, in-depth talks about her past, what she's into now, and how they can prepare for her future together.

  Even though this last trip started before the sun, it was a happy one - she's thrilled to have gotten her cast off and is healing well. Looks like she & her mentor will be making the full-day Children's Hospital trip again next week for a follow-up visit though. 

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  Every family and every child is different, and we can meet their specific and unique needs. We can say yes when other people just can’t...

  No bureaucracy, no red tape - just people helping people.