Morgan McKillip, a New Castle mom and former foster parent, is organizing the first-ever Firecracker 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk to bring awareness to the foster care system. The event, which will take place on July 4th at Baker Park, aims to educate the community about the importance of supporting vulnerable children.

Foster Care Awareness

McKillip’s journey as a foster parent began after a mission trip to an orphanage in Georgia. She has since opened her heart and home to 11 children, all of whom have been able to safely reunify with their biological families. Nearly two years ago, she adopted her daughter, who first came into her care at just four months old.

McKillip’s experience as a foster parent has been a positive one, and she hopes to share that with the community. She believes that empathy and co-parenting with biological families are key to helping children in the foster care system. To bridge the gap, she used to send a notebook back and forth with the biological parents of the children in her care.

The upcoming event is completely free and community-focused, allowing participants to walk or run at their own pace. A QR code will be available for community members to donate to a dedicated fund managed by the Henry County Community Foundation, which will go directly to fulfilling the needs of local children currently living in foster care.

Getting Involved

McKillip hopes the event will inspire attendees to realize that involvement in child welfare takes many forms. She encourages people to consider becoming a mentor to a child in the system, a foster parent, or a CASA volunteer. Every effort, no matter how small, can make a difference in the life of a child in need.

Original reporting: 93.1 WIBC (Indianapolis) — read the source article.