You can be an ambassador of hope to abused and neglected children and youth. Help serve foster and adoptive parents, children and youth in the foster care system and those who have recently “aged out” at age 18.
A Ministry Serving Foster and Adoptive Parents, Children and Youth
You can be an ambassador of hope to abused and neglected children and youth. Help serve foster and adoptive parents, children and youth in the foster care system and those who have recently “aged out” at age 18.
“Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”
–Isaiah 1:17
We encourage you to participate in ACTION’s ministry to foster and adoptive parents, children and youth. You can participate with others from your church and also unite with Christians from churches all across Ventura County. In this ministry, you are not alone, but you are set apart. You have been cut out of the crowd by God for a special mission…to share His love and hope with abused and neglected children and youth, who are close to God’s heart of compassion. Thank you for hearing their cry and for answering God’s call to action.
The information on our website is designed to help you consider the area of service that God is leading you to. We partner with a number of social service agencies that serve foster parents, children and youth in Ventura County. Examples of possible areas for service include supporting adoptive and foster parents, mentoring a foster youth, making in-kind donations of school supplies or computers, or becoming a camp counselor for foster children at a Christian camp for a week. If you have questions or need more information, you can contact the Action Ministry Center at the e-mail address or phone number below.
Cornerstones of our Ministry
- God is the solution – we facilitate
- God changes people – we do not
- God can change convictions and values – we seek to model Christ and inspire change
Our Mission
Engaging Christians from all across Ventura County in serving those currently in foster care or those who have “aged out” of the foster care system at age 18.
Training and Support Network
Our Training and Support Network is designed to help foster and adoptive parents and volunteers who form a “circle of support” around them, as well as anyone who wants to consider how to serve these parents, children and youth. Mentors of foster youth, summer camp counselors, and others serving foster and adoptive parents, children or youth are invited to be a part of this Network that meets 4 times each year. For more details, click on the links at left.
How to Get Involved
For more information, please call Kathy Donofrio at 805-987-0300 or email the Action Ministry Center.
There are as many opportunities as there are foster children. Here are a few suggestions for how you can help.
- Here are some examples of how you and your church can serve foster children and youth
- Mentor a foster youth 1-2 hours a week. Help raise awareness of the need for mentors by arranging a time to speak at your Men’s Ministry group or to a small group at your church.
- Become an adult supporter for foster youth (age 14-24) who are members of the California Youth Connection.
- Donate to an Adoptive and Foster Parent Fund – This Fund helps relieve financial pressures on foster and adoptive parents by paying for one-time expenses.
- Ask your church to celebrate Sanctity of Life Month each January or Foster Parent Awareness Month each May by highlighting the need for more foster and adoptive parents and by inviting a foster parent agency to have information available after the worship service.
- Consider being a host family for a foster youth who has recently aged out of the foster care system at age 18 and needs a room to rent for several months, up to a year or so.
- Help plan or serve at events, such as the June high school graduation celebration for foster youth, or field trips. Donate a computer for a foster youth who is going on to college.
- Encourage your Children’s Ministry or other church groups to organize a drive for donations of backpacks and school supplies for foster and disadvantaged youth.
- Donate new or gently-used children’s clothing, bedding, etc. to the Heart-to-Heart program sponsored by the Foster Parents Association. Go to www.vcfpa.org for details.
To get involved, contact the ACTION Ministry Center by e-mail or call at 805-987-0300.
ACTION is a faith-based organization in Ventura County and partners with the Foster Parents Association, Arrow Child & Family Ministries, Big Brothers Big Sisters, California Youth Connection, Foster & Kinship Care Education, Royal Family Kids Camp, TEACh Scholarship Fund, Child SHARE, Ventura County Children & Family Services and other local agencies to serve foster children and youth. ACTION was formed to engage Christians in service to transform their communities.
ACTION has a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County and with Casa Pacifica to provide mentors for foster children and youth.
What is a mentor?
A mentor is someone who comes alongside a foster child or youth for the purpose of being a positive influence, helping them to develop their strengths and fulfill their potential. A mentor develops a supportive relationship by spending time with the young person. Mentors are both teachers and listeners offering encouragement and guidance. They help the young person solve problems, access resources and develop the skills and interests needed to build a life of hope.
Whom do they mentor?
Mentors are always matched by gender. The age of the foster youth determines the specific mentoring goals. Mentors decide which age group they prefer.
1. 9 – 15 years. Younger foster youth in care. They can be in a group home or with a foster parent. The specific mentoring goal for this age group is to expose them to different experiences and help them develop their interests. Time spent together include special outings, museums, theater, sports, music, outdoor activities etc.
2. 15 ½ -18 years. Older foster youth in care. This is the time when the youth need to prepare for emancipation. At 18, foster youth “age out” of the system and need to be equipped to find housing, a job, transportation, and have the skills to budget and live independently. They need mentors who will help them access resources and prepare for this transition out of the foster care system.
3. Up to 18 years. The courts can appoint volunteers called CASA’s (Court-Appointed-Special- Advocates} to serve as both a mentor and an advocate for a foster youth in care. The responsibilities of advocates include writing reports, attending placement meetings and making recommendations for the child. (The CASA program is run by Interface Children & Family Services. Volunteers will need to commit to completing 40 hours of initial training and an on-going time commitment of about 2-5 hours a week to be a CASA.)
What do Mentors commit to?
- Mentors model Christ’s love in action. They need to be members of a church, have previous ministry experience, and be active in their own spiritual growth.
- Mentors spend an average of 1-2 hours a week with their foster youth for a minimum of 12 months.
- Mentors need to have the time to commit and the means to be reliable. They need to have a car, no criminal record and complete a background check and screening interview.
- Mentors are not expected to be the only ones involved. Mentors access other people and resources and help the foster youth become a part of the larger community.
- Mentors can participate in training, coaching and prayer groups for their own support and growth.
If you want to become a mentor, contact the ACTION Ministry Center by e-mail or call at 805-987-0300.
Show Christ’s love to children in need Backpacks needed with school supplies for children in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties.
ACTION is working in partnership with agencies in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties to provide backpacks with school supplies for children in need, primarily foster children and children of homeless families.
ACTION is asking churches, children’s ministries, youth groups, small groups and individuals to participate and to let us know how many backpacks with school supplies they can commit to so we can reach as many children and families as possible by having many parts of the Christian community participate.
We are asking each group or individual to provide the backpacks and school supplies. A list of supplies needed is attached. You can drop off the backpacks at your church or ACTION will provide a drop-off location for churches, groups, or individuals who participate. Or, you can always drop the backpack and school supplies off at the ACTION Ministry Center at 406 Constitution Avenue in Camarillo.
If you can help meet this need, please call Kathy Donofrio at 805-987-0300 or email the Action Ministry Center.
“Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”
— Isaiah 1:17
Thank you for your interest in serving foster parents and foster children and youth in Ventura County by giving through ACTION.
Checks should be made payable to ACTION, with a note designating the funds to the Foster Care Ministry or to one or more of the funds below. Our mailing address is: ACTION, 406 Constitution Avenue, Camarillo, CA 93012. If you need more information, please contact the ACTION Ministry Center at 805-987-0300.
Summer Camp Fund – Sponsoring a Foster Child or Youth to go to a Summer Camp generally comes to about $500. Your gifts to this Fund will be distributed to the Royal Family Kids Camps (ages 7-11) and the Teen Reach Adventure Camp (ages 12-15) in Ventura County to enable foster youth to go to camp. These are church-sponsored camps, which use the Christian camping ministry developed by Royal Family Kids Camp.
Adoptive and Foster Parent Fund – This Fund will help relieve financial pressures on foster and adoptive parents by paying for one-time expenses. We focus on helping these families, as well as children who are being re-united with their biological families. We work in partnership with the Children’s Auxiliary and other foster care agencies to help these families.
Backpacks and School Supplies – Foster Children or Youth are often living in Group Homes or with families whose finances are stretched very thin. You can help by donating cash or by purchasing a backpack and school supplies and making an in-kind donation of that. ACTION runs this ministry on a year-round basis and partners with a number of agencies who serve foster and disadvantaged children and youth. The time when most backpacks and school supplies are distributed is in August each year; but, you or your church can donate at any time of the year. Check with us first, because we can often help stretch your contribution dollars. | More >
Education Fund – Contributions to this Fund will help foster youth continue their education after high school. ACTION will administer this Fund by working closely with the TEACh Scholarship Fund and contributions can be made to ACTION or directly to the Ventura County Community Foundation on behalf of TEACh. The TEACh Fund provides scholarships to foster youth who have graduated from high school and are going on to a community college, 4-year college or vocational school.
Housing Fund – Foster Youth are at great risk to be homeless when they “age out” of foster care at age 18. Contributions to this Fund will help foster youth pay for a portion of their housing needs during the transition period from age 18-24. Transitional Housing Facilities and Host Families are two of the programs for foster youth who have “aged out” of the foster care system. ACTION will seek to expand the existing supply of Transitional Housing Facilities and Host Homes in Ventura County.
ACTION partners with foster care agencies county-wide.
The Foster Care Ministry works in partnership with these and other agencies:
- Arrow Child and Family Ministries
- AspiraNet Foster family Services
- Big Brothers Big Sisters
- California Youth Connection (CYC)
- Casa Pacifica
- Child SHARE
- Court-Appointed-Special-Advocate (CASA)
- Foster Parents Association
- Foster & Kinship Care Education (email)
- Royal Family Kids Camp
- Teen Reach Adventure Camp (email)
- Ventura County Children and Family Services
Partnering Christian volunteers with local agencies to meet community needs and bring about positive community transformation. Primary focuses are seniors, disabled residents, under-resourced families, the homeless population, and at-risk youth.
“Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”
–Isaiah 1:17
Mission for Foster Care Ministry
Engaging Christians from all across Ventura County in serving those currently in foster care or those who have aged out of foster care at age 18.
Goals and Objectives
Recruit Christian volunteers for service agency partners (partial list following)
- Big Brothers Big Sisters – mentors for foster children and youth California Youth Connection (CYC) – adult supporters for foster youth Ventura County Independent Living Program (ILP) – training and resources for employment, transportation, education, and housing for foster youthArrow Child & Family Ministries – foster and adoptive parent recruitment; volunteer support
- Child SHARE – support for foster parents
- Foster Parents Association – support network for foster parents
- Foster and Kinship Care Education – training for foster parents
- Ventura County Children & Family Services – foster parent recruitment
Support Christian volunteers in their ministries to foster parents, children and youth Training and Support meetings four times each year
- Raise awareness in Christian community about needs for volunteers
- Seminars sponsored by ACTION or service agency partners
- Information meetings at churches or with small groups
- Provide resources from Christian community to foster parents, children and youth
- Support for Adoptive and Foster Parents
- Sponsor foster children and youth to go to Royal Family Kids Camps
- Help foster youth obtain affordable housing after they age out of foster care
- Provide in-kind donations of computers, school supplies, etc.
Contact: Action Ministry Center by e-mail or call at 805-987-0300.
