Activity supports foster program

Nearly 2,100 Utah children are put into foster care each year.

Of those, approximately 1,000 come from the Wasatch Front, so the need for foster families is great, said Mike Hamblin, area representative for the Utah Foster Care Foundation.

To help bring awareness to this issue, the Utah Foster Care Foundation held a free pumpkin festival at The Gateway Oct. 13 where participants were given information packets about foster care and children decorated pumpkins.

"We've got about 250 pumpkins. It's really just an opportunity for people to ask questions while the kids have a good time," Hamblin said.

Even if someone doesn't choose to become a foster family, just coming into contact with information about it can be beneficial, Hamblin said.

"We know foster care isn't for everyone, but we encourage families to take a look at it," he said. "We see a lot of people who don't think about fostering. Most people think about fostering for a year before they become foster parents."

Amanda Hart of Kaysville said she hadn't planned on coming to the pumpkin festival, but after bringing her daughter Alyssa, 7, to The Gateway, she saw it, and Alyssa wanted to participate. "I think (this event) is fun for kids and (the fact that) it helps parents to get information packets for foster care is great," she said.

Becoming a foster parent is something Hart says she and her husband have thought about as they only have one child, but they are just researching it for the moment. Getting the packet was helpful because it gave them a contact number to call.

Jennifer Underdown of West Jordan thought the event was worthwhile for her daughter, Ashley, 3.

"It's lots of fun for the kids to get messy and it's fun to watch (them) be so creative," she said, as Ashley painted a purple pumpkin. "It's nice to have an excuse to support a community program and have a little fun at the same time. It makes me appreciate my family relationships so much more."

Steve Hurst said he brought his daughters Sydney, 4, and Taylor, 1, to the festival because they heard about it from their neighbor, who is an employee of Utah Foster Care. Although he is already aware of foster care, Hurst felt the event would expose others to it as well. "I think it will help raise awareness and get people out here so (Utah Foster Care Foundation) can give them information," he said.

For more information about the Utah Foster Care Foundation or becoming a foster family, visit utahfostercare.org or call 1-866-575-KIDS.

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E-mail: twalquist@desnews.com