Caring for Foster Families | Allie Roth, With Love, Oregon Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder?

Did you know there are more than 400,000 children in the U.S. who are in the foster care system? The average age of a child in foster care is 8 years old, and there are more boys than girls. There are so many kids who need a home, support and love.
My guest today is Allie Roth, president and founder of With Love, which aims to help foster families change the lives of children ages 0-6 by providing resources that nurture dignity, hope and community.
2:42 – Allie Roth 101 Allie is married with two children and has always loved kids. She was a teacher and learned about some of the needs in the community. She doesn’t say “foster kids.” She says “kids in foster care.” She created her nonprofit in the Portland area. 7:18 – Misconceptions about foster care In Oregon, about 1 in 100 kids are in foster care, which is double the national average. It is not normal. On any given day, there are around 7,000 kids. Part of the reason is the opiate crisis and housing instability 13:28 – Misconceptions about kids in foster care No kid goes into foster care through a fault of their own. Kids need a loving place to land while their parents are in rehab or have other issues. 60% of the kids in foster care come from neglect. 17:15 – Fulfilling needs They have volunteers who shop for the kids so the kids feel seen and known. They gather car seats, bottles, shoes and other basics. After 90 days, foster parents can reach out and ask for more supplies. 21:53 – How did Allie begin With Love? Beginning a nonprofit is really hard. Allie talked with other nonprofits to find out how they did it. She focused on volunteering, and found a lot of retired people who wanted to help. 27:27 – Connecting with other organizations Allie gets calls and emails all the time about working with other organizations. She is very active on social media and has met a lot of people through that. Eventually, she wants to do replication seminars so people can learn about foster care 101. 36:17 – Ways people can support Allie’s work Intentionality is key. Instead of just dropping your stuff off at a donation center, ask yourself, “Who can I bless with what I have?” Allie believes in transparency and shares how her organization is doing in an annual report and on social media. 43:11 – How her kids have adapted to being foster family Having kids is a huge asset. For Allie’s family, she brings in kids who are younger than her children. They don’t have a placement all the time, so her kids get excited when a new child comes to stay. 46:27 – Get to know Allie Her guilty pleasure? People Magazine Song she has to sing? Panic at the Disco’s “Hey Look Ma, I Made It” FEATURED QUOTES
“In Oregon, there are about 1 in 100 kids in foster care. That number is double the national average, so that is not normal.” – Allie
“On any given day [in Oregon], there are around 7,000 kids in foster care, ages o to 18.” – Allie
“Volunteers are the heartbeat of what we do.” – Allie
“Who can I really bless with what I have? That’s being intentional.” – Allie
CONNECT:
https://www.withloveoregon.org/ https://www.withloveoregon.org/allie-roth About Allie Roth:  Allie Roth is the President and Founder of With Love, which is a non-profit organization working to support foster families in Portland, Oregon. For Allie, With Love is more than an organization with a cause, it’s a must-have movement. Since 2013, she has brought love and dignity to the forefront of foster care, changing the lives of thousands of families and kids in the community.