For those of you who didn’t know, May is National Foster Care month, a month to acknowledge foster parents, family members, mentors, 
volunteers, child welfare professionals, policymakers and other members of our community who help children and youth in foster care find permanent homes. With more than 400,000 children and youth in foster care in the United States, it is important to acknowledge these individuals to not only celebrate and thank them, but to spread the word about foster care and all that it does.
In Waleska, we are so fortunate to have the Goshen Valley Foundation. Goshen Valley Boys Ranch, the flagship of Goshen Valley Program, is a home for 40 young men ages 11-18 living in the Georgia foster program. This unique program has a unique family based model of care. There are six homes with fulltime house parents to care for the boys in each home. This amazing program gives the young men an opportunity to live in a loving and caring environment where there is a focus on hope and healing. Just how amazing is it? Look at the long list of awards:
2007 – Canton Rotary Award
2009 – Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Award
2010 – Department of Family and Children’s Services Award
2010 – Casey Family Foundation Award
2014 – Lamar Haley Rotary Award
2015 – Georgia Friends of Children Award
The Goshen Valley Foundation has three initiatives: Goshen Valley Boys Ranch,Goshen New Beginnings and Goshen Homes. Training is available for adults interested in fostering. We strongly encourage you to check out the website and learn more about this fantastic place. There are opportunities to sponsor a boy for one day or one month. If you can’t foster directly but want to support those who do, this is a great way to do so.