Spreading kindness can come in many different forms. Whether it’s giving a complement or offering a helping hand, all acts of kindness are highly valued.

November is National Adoption month and Dawn Sweetman, Supervisor of the Adoption Development and Licensing Unit at the Department of Children and Families (DCF) informs us about ways we can help spread kindness and awareness for National Adoption month.

One major way to help spread awareness is by spreading the word about fostering and adoption. “Spreading the word about the need that we do always need foster and adoptive families helps spread awareness” Sweetman states. By emphasizing that there is always the need to expand the number of foster homes and adoptive families truly makes the most impactful difference.

You can also donate to different local community closets to help spread kindness. “There are a couple of community closets available in Western Massachusetts and those closets accept donations for kids and foster and adoptive families. They collect things like clothing, gently used or new toys, and baby products.”  Some of these local closets include Lydia’s Closet located at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Longmeadow and AOK Community Closet located in Agawam.

Minnechaug also has a club called Teens Helping Teens. One of the projects Teens helping Teens takes part of is organizing  donations that go towards helping foster care and adoption. If you are not in the position to foster or adopt, you can also offer to assist with helping anyone you know who is going through the fostering or adoption process. “If you know families who are in the process of adopting you certainly can offer to  help support them.” This can range from offering to  babysit to being there for them during this exciting process.

The Department of Children and Families is actively recruiting foster parents for children in your community. They are searching for individuals or families with the love and patience to help a foster child. You can be single, married, partnered, divorced or widowed. You can own your home or rent. If you are thinking about becoming a foster parent we urge you to call The Department of Children and Families today at 1-800-KIDS-508 or visit mass.gov/dcf