19 ways to get involved with PFC
PFC celebrates 19 years of making tomorrow better than today for children and families connected to Child Protective Services (CPS)!
For the past 19 years, we’ve worked hard to bring awareness to the issues surrounding CPS and to provide support and guidance to those affected by these issues. We’re proud to have been able to help so many families and children over the past 19 years and we plan to continue our commitment to them in the years to come.
We could not do our important work without the financial support of our community and the thousands of volunteer hours we receive each year for our programs, and we’ve got something for everyone! This month, we’re celebrating our 19th anniversary by sharing 19 ways you can get involved at PFC!
Donate
Our donors are vitally important to us - you help sustain our mission and you reinforce the value of the work we do for our community's most vulnerable children. All donations to Partnerships for Children are tax-deductible and directly fund our 5 core programs.
1. Donate! In celebration of our 19th Anniversary, we are raising $19k to fund music lessons for 19 children in our Kids in a New Groove program. You can help us reach our goal by making a donation of any amount.
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2. Host a donation drive! A backpack for school. A gift under the tree. A toothbrush for the night. These are more than just objects. Everything you donate—big or small—can make a difference in the life of a child or youth in our Central Texas community. With your help, we can continue to provide much-needed new items for our Rainbow Rooms and Holiday Wishes gift drive.
3. Host a Facebook fundraiser for PFC! Facebook makes fundraising easy and with just a couple of clicks, you’ll be ready to fundraise on Facebook
Stay Connected
4. Join our mailing list and every month we’ll keep you informed and up-to-date on all the latest PFC news and events!
5. Follow us on social media and share our posts to help raise awareness for PFC and our programs! We’re on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok!
6. Join the Austin Rainbow Room Round-up or Waco Rainbow Room Round-Up! We are constantly restocking our Rainbow Room to meet the needs of the CPS caseworkers and the children they serve! Each month, we will share the most needed items with you!
Give your Time
7. Participate in volunteer activities organized by our organization. Participating in Volunteering is a great way to give back to your community and help those we serve. It is a selfless act of kindness that can have a lasting impact. It can also provide invaluable experience for those who are looking to develop their skills or build a support network of caring individuals.
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8. Get groovin’ with Kids In a New Groove (KING)! Become a music mentor to a child connected to CPS! Kids in a New Groove (KING)our music mentoring program provides Central Texas youth who have had experience with the child welfare system with a committed one-on-one mentoring relationship through free weekly, private music lessons. Giving students the ability to transform their lives through connection and support.
9. Become a YES mentor to help young adults aging out of foster care. Imagine having no one to turn to for advice, to learn basic "adulting" from, or to ask questions like how to get a job, budget, file taxes, and other day-to-day necessities. This is what many of our youth face. A supportive adult in a youth's life can make a difference while they transition to adulthood. This is why we started the Youth Empowerment and Success (YES) Mentoring program.
Be an Ambassador
10. Become a PFC Community Ambassador to help us engage our community and increase awareness. Volunteering with PFC can also be a great way to meet new people and make new friends!
11. Attend our events and help spread the word. Did you know? Our 18th annual spring Gala is on April 15, 2023! We aim to raise vital funds that will support the programs Partnerships For Children. This year we will have limited in-person tables available, but anyone can attend virtually and participate in our raffles and virtual silent auction!
12. Connect us with potential donors and partners. We absolutely love our partners and allies!
Support Adoption Recruitment Efforts
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Getting involved with the Heart Gallery is a meaningful way to help children who are in foster care by helping to create awareness in our community for the need for adoptive families and homes.
13. Visit the Heart Gallery and share a child’s profile to create adoption awareness!
14. Host a Heart Gallery Exhibit! You can help a child find a forever family by building community awareness for them. If you are part of a business where artwork could be displayed (like a doctor's office, hospital, restaurant, store, etc.) or open to hosting a virtual gallery sharing these children's portraits can greatly increase their likelihood of being adopted.
15. Join our group of professional Heart Gallery volunteer photographers that donate their time and talents to photographing children in the Heart Gallery!
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16. Host a Forever Families Filming. Our Forever Families segments are filmed at local, kid-friendly businesses and feature children from our Heart Gallery. We love partnering with local businesses! These segments are critical in raising awareness for the children waiting for families, capturing hearts, and educating our community about foster care and adoption.
17. In 2022, The Texas Center for Child and Family Studies and Partnerships for Children worked together to create a comprehensive review of Texas’ adoption recruitment methods and to offer some interesting recommendations for improvement. You can help spread the word about this research by using the Improving Adoption Recruitment Toolkit. You’ll find email templates, social posts, and graphics helpful to share with your network and state representatives.
PFC is the backbone support for Foster Community - a network of nonprofits, government agencies, and community leaders dedicated to enhancing community support for families involved or at risk of involvement with the child welfare system.
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18. Deciding to become foster or adoptive parents is a big decision, but it is a decision that children need more families to say YES to. Many kids in Central Texas are living in foster care, some are waiting for their parents to work through services before they can go home, and some are waiting for their forever families. There are many things to consider prior to making the decision to pursue adoption or becoming a foster parent. It’s good to take your time and make sure this is the right fit for your family. Attend an information session!
19. Host an information session through Foster Community! As an organization, we know we have a big mission to fulfill in Central Texas and we can't do it without the support of the local communities. That means we need YOU to continue the foster care movement! There are so many ways for your group, church, business or organization to get involved. Let us help facilitate that process.