The Varner Foundation | Blog

The Invisible Foster Kid

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 19:47:49 GMT

THE INVISIBLE FOSTER KID

Not all foster teens thrive in foster care and leave foster care empowered and equipped to achieve their full potential. Some run away, others age out of the system, some get caught up in human trafficking, and some just wander. Found Village, here in Cincinnati ( www.foundvillage.org ), was created for these kids. Found Village provides coaching, equipping, educational advocacy, career services, and enrichment activities for these kids ages 13 to 25. Their award-winning program is pure gold for all the kids that walk through their doors every year. The challenge? Many could not get to those doors. Many solutions were tried but, in the end, they needed a passenger van and partners that were passionate about foster kids to make purchasing the van possible. Again, the VF donors are the best because their donations allowed the VF to be one of those partners that made it happen. LIKE-SHARE-FOLLOW

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DEAR FAITHFUL DONORS...

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 19:44:40 GMT

DEAR FAITHFUL DONORS ...

Look what YOU are responsible for accomplishing since the first day of January 2026.....a mere 76 days!

161 FAMILIES SERVED!

238 CHILDREN SERVED!

THANK YOU!!!!

If you are aren't a follower or a donor, today would be a GREAT day to do so! LIKE - SHARE - FOLLOW

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"I don't feel safe."

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 01:28:13 GMT

“I DON’T FEEL SAFE!”

“I don’t feel safe!” is a common panicked cry heard from many terrified kids, as they are being placed in Foster Care! We are all born wired to trust our caregiver, but that trust can quickly be replaced with deep overpowering fear by an abused child who then struggles to learn to trust again. Yet, the number ONE UNFUNDED NEED in the foster care system is exactly what they need, the ability to get timely, specialized mental health and trauma-informed care. AND with every moment that goes by without help, an abused child’s brain literally sinks deeper into an emotional hole that is incredibly hard to climb out of.

Did you know that when you donate to the Varner Foundation for Children and Families that there is a very high chance your donation is going to help a kid that desperately needs specialized mental health help? The VF is one of only a very small handful of non-profit foundations that will stand in this particular critical “resource gap” for a child in foster care. Whether it is in the form of an appointment with leading medical professionals, or attending therapeutic camp, or expensive diagnostic testing for sexual abuse victims, or targeted training for caregivers, the VF comes through with help when and where it is truly NEEDED.

Thank you, donors, for your continued generosity in providing ALL the unfunded services that gives help and hope to a child so they can begin to heal, learn trust again, and smile. Please SHARE!

"I AM NOT SOMEONE’S SAD STORY; I am a foster kid that is going to grow up to be someone great!”

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 03:31:44 GMT

"I AM NOT SOMEONE’S SAD STORY; I am a foster kid that is going to grow up to be someone great!”

I like cheeseburgers but only if they are without pickles or mustard. My best friend is Branden ... but I don’t get to sit next to him at lunch anymore. I used to like school but now not so much. My teacher’s name is Mrs. Anderson, and she is nice and all, but I still miss Ms. Clark ... she was funny. I love to play baseball. ... but they told me that I got here too late this year to sign up for a rec team.

All the kids here have chores, me too. My job is to feed the cat in the morning, help with the dishes, and push the two gray garbage cans to the end of the driveway on Wednesday nights. They tell me I need to try and make new friends ... but I tried that before and I just end up having to say goodbye ... anyway I feel safer by myself. Everyone always asks me if I have brothers and sisters and I just say “no” cause its easier. I don’t know where they are anymore anyways and that’s just too hard to explain. I have a couple of scars on my left arm near my elbow, but they are too hard to explain too. I sometimes wonder how long I get to stay in this house. The last two times I got moved they told me it wasn’t my fault it was something called “cuts in aid” ….. I think that has something to do with money. I am not someone’s sad story; I am a foster kid that is going to grow up to be someone great!”

The VF was created to stand in the critical resource gaps for fostering families whether traditional Foster families or Kinship. Since our founding we have been able to help with critical resources when everyone else said “no,” all thanks to our donors.

Our deepest desire is that no foster kid grows up to be someone’s sad story.

Broken Promises.

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 18:13:43 GMT

The Crisis.

BROKEN PROMISES. Children are placed in Foster Care every day with well-intentioned promises of a better life for themselves. They are promised a safe home where they will be nurtured and have a family that can be called their own…. that is until they are 18 years old. For a vast majority of these kids, the promises that were made to them when they entered the “system” are now empty words that have no meaning.

More than 23,000 children will age out of the US foster care system every year and over a quarter of them will instantly become homeless. Many are still suffering from direct effects of PTSD, and more than half won’t be steadily employed until they are 24. Only 3% will ever go to college and 7 out of 10 girls will be pregnant by 21.

So, when the VF was contacted to help purchase a bed, mattress and dresser for a young man who had just aged out and had no support, but had worked two jobs through High School, saved his money, and was given a full scholarship to a community college, we didn’t hesitate to give him our support. Support that was far more than three pieces of furniture. Support that showed him he had value, that others believed in him and what he was capable of, and support that would enable him to get a fresh start on the rest of his life. This is what donations to the VF can do …. help mend some broken promises to really hardworking special kids. Thank you, donors!

Now What?

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 01:30:23 GMT

"Now What?"

“Now what?” said the exhausted voice of an older woman at Goodwill in front of me in the checkout line. After a few words with her, I realized she was a new kinship grandma with three small grandchildren, and she needed a crib asap but there wasn’t one and buying new just wasn’t an option. Thankfully, I was able to give her information about a resource that could help her and one that is a VF Trusted Partner.

Many kindship caregivers of infants are facing a new challenge in 2025 … secondhand cribs, crib mattresses, playpens and other baby furniture are not being given away/ sold in Goodwill and most other charities anymore due to safety concerns and new regulatory changes.

For months, the VF has been helping with purchasing beds for a ton of kids and now the shortage and need has impacted the littlest of little ones removed from their abusive homes and placed with relatives. The VF donors are making such a difference in the lives of kids and those that have stepped up to care for them. Thank you! Please LIKE -SHARE -FOLLOW . They kids and families need your voice!

Thank You!

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 18:03:21 GMT

Thank You.

We often scroll through our Facebook feeds, pausing at milestones— graduations, weddings, new jobs, home purchases. These are huge and wonderful events that are worthy of celebrating but sometimes the quieter victories go unnoticed:

When the sun sets on our days, most of us retreat to the safety and security of our beds for the rest we so desperately need …. for hundreds and hundreds of kids in foster/kinship care that is sadly not the case. This current bed shortage is a fairly new epidemic known as “bed poverty.” Having a bed to sleep in is critical for children’s development and well-being. It is essential for physical and cognitive development as well as increased confidence and reducing stress. Because of the present shortage, coupled with the huge need, most organizations are not able to help provide beds for kids now. But because of the VF donors, since January 2025, we have continued providing beds for foster/kinship kids at an average of five to six a week. Thank you!

When The System Fails...

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 18:24:59 GMT

A Story of Two Girls.

When “the system” fails you and when the adults that promised to keep you safe can’t, healing from being repeatedly physically abused becomes a very long journey. This is the story of two twin girls, who are not yet 7, who were safe in foster care, reunited with their mom and boyfriend, abused again, and are again in foster care. The emotional scars are far deeper than the physical scars and deciding who to trust is an ongoing struggle. The Varner Foundation was asked to help stand in the resource gap for a special therapeutic summer camp for these kids, with specially trained counselors and other children who share the same types of stories. Because of you, our donors, we were able to say “yes” and become partners in their journey to heal. Your support will truly last their lifetime! Thank you!

Bringing Home A Win!

Wed, 21 May 2025 18:28:58 GMT

Oh, the fun!

Oh, the stories! Oh, the laughs! Oh, the fun! Over a week later and we are still hearing from our donors and supporters about what a great evening our May 10th Bringing Home A Win" event was. In truth it was our fantastic guests that made the evening so great and also made the world a better place for all the Foster/Kinship kids we are yet to service because of their support! Thank you!

"Red Tape"

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 01:36:57 GMT

"Red Tape"

Dealing with RED TAPE is terribly annoying for everyone, but for a certain family it came close to causing 2 young children to go into foster care. After having been severely, unimaginably abused by their custodial parent, the children’s non-custodial parent was awarded custody. The RED TAPE in the child support system is so inefficient that the new custodial parent was still paying to the old one for months. The children’s needs were difficult to meet without the funds in hand that should have been if only the system had been working properly. Thanks to you, our donors, the VF stepped in and provided support for the kids so they could stay with their loving, protective parent and continue to receive medical and psychological therapy.

Help us help kids like this by donating today.