At any one time, there are approximately 450,000 children in foster care in the United States, 65,000 in California and 3000 in Orange County. Many have been suffered neglect and physical or sexual abuse. All have undergone the trauma of having been removed from their families. Without intervention, children whose lives have been impacted by being in the foster care system face a very uncertain future.
Through our summer camp and year-round mentoring program, our mission at Royal Family Kids is to make a difference in the lives of foster care children by providing them with positive memories and loving adult Christian role models. In many fun ways, RFK helps to build their self-esteem, plant seeds of hope for the future, and challenge their assumptions that adults are bad and that God has forgotten about them. Above all, they are taught that their current circumstances do not define their future, and that they have a Father in heaven who loves them and who has a positive plan for them. Lastly, we believe there is a clear biblical call to serving these children.
Volunteers are also privileged to get a glimpse into the largely unseen, world of foster care. Through that experience, many volunteers have been moved to become involved in other aspects of foster care by serving in foster ministries at their church volunteering as a court appointed special advocates (CASA), seeking careers as social workers and even becoming foster and adoptive parents. After camp, volunteers have an opportunity to volunteer as year-round mentors. Many beautiful, lifelong relationships have grown out of our mentoring program.
