Olive Crest Foster Care: Transforming Lives of Children in Crisis

Olive Crest's vision is to help build strong family units: "Strong Families. Safe Kids."

by Staff Reporter.Families in Burien are learning about Olive Crest and becoming involved in it. "What is it?" you ask. Olive Crest is an organization that helps provide foster children with good homes on a short-term or longer-term basis.

Olive Crest Mission

For the past 50 years, Olive Crest has helped transform the lives of 200,000 children by supporting families in crisis. Olive Crest states they "transform the lives of children in crisis through the healing power of God, family, and community." They are "dedicated to preventing child abuse by strengthening, equipping, and restoring children and families in crisis... One Life at a Time."Their Vision is "a strong family for every child."Recently, a group of people met in Burien to hear Olive Crest staff explain how they can join this program. (Olive Crest is currently established in California, Nevada, and Washington State.)

Continuum of Care

• Children and Families in Crisis
• Safe Home
• Equipping for Life
• Strong Family

Neglect and Abuse Stats

It was amazing to find out that:

1. Every 10 seconds, a child is reported abused, with 4 million reported annually.
2. 60% of the children who "age out" of the welfare system are homeless within the first year.
3. 150 children die every month because of abuse and neglect.

Foster children are the most vulnerable in our nation.

How Olive Crest Gets Truant Kids Out of Bed and Into School Desks

Excerpt from olivecrest.org site:

Covid-19 brought a staggering increase in the number of students missing from school – both virtual school days and after students returned to the classroom – an understandable consequence for unprecedented times. However, four years later, classroom attendance hasn’t gone back to pre-pandemic levels.

A recent New York Times article suggests that underlying cause is a “fundamental shift in the value that families place on school, and in the culture of education during the pandemic.” In other words, people are viewing going to school and receiving an education as optional.

Every missed day of school represents a missed opportunity for a child’s future...

(Go to Full Article HERE) (and MSN.com coverage)

Volunteer Opportunities

Olive Crest states: "Everyone can do something. What's your something?"Opportunities include volunteering as a friend with child care help, transportation, yard work, providing a meal, mentoring a child, and helping a family in crisis. There is also a need for more foster families, prayer partners, and financial support.

Olive Crest's vision is to help build strong family units:STRONG FAMILIES, SAFE KIDS.

Contact Information

If you think this may be an area in which you want to contribute to the flourishing of our community and help children in need, the people at Olive Crest would welcome a chance to speak with you and answer your questions.www.olivecrest.org or 800-550-CHILD[caption id="attachment_17341" align="aligncenter" width="708"]

Olive Crest Families (image from OliveCrest.org)[/caption]