Foster mother Nikki Moyer receives a YMCA membership from vice president, Terri Averesch thanks to a grant that will pay for a one-year YMCA membership for foster families.
LIMA — The idea of foster families is to give children separated from their parents a safe place to live during this traumatic time, and thanks to a new grant program, foster families will also have the chance to have a safe place to play and exercise.
The YMCA has expanded services for a one-year membership for not only foster children but foster and kinship families. Through the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and an Ohio YMCA grant, each family member will now receive a free membership.
Nikki Moyer has been a foster parent with her husband for one year. They have fostered 10 children in their home and truly love the program.
“It has been good to open up our homes to these little ones that need a safe place,” said Moyer. “We have truly enjoyed it so far. Chad and I are very active people. When I heard this was going to be available we were so excited because the winters here are so cold. Being able to come to the YMCA is going to be so amazing. We will show our 6-year-old how important it is to take care of your body and be healthy.”
Allen County Children Services has 79 children in foster care and 144 living with relatives in kinship care. If each family applies, the YMCA will become available to over 200 children and families. The membership will also be available to teens in the Bridges program. It reaches those 18 years and older who are no longer in a foster home but have a Bridges caseworker.
“We are getting the word out now,” said Children Services Executive Director Sarah Newland. “We hope families utilize it. It helps support the caregivers in caring for these children.”
The membership is not only available in Allen County but statewide.
“I think this is a great program for the Ohio alliance of YMCA’s to help work together with this group,” said Lima Family YMCA Vice-President Terri Averesch. “We did offer a free membership to foster children because we were a United Way program. We have not previously done the whole family or kinship families. It is great they have collaborated and allowed us to do that. There are so many programs they can do with the parents just to come in and utilize the swimming pool and basketball court. We have soccer as well. We are trying to reach out to as many families as we can. I am reaching out to foster families that we already have. Now all they have to do is get the paperwork and they won’t have to pay anymore.”
