College basketball surges to its peak during the March Madness NCAA tournament, but KU Coach Bill Self still makes time for recruiting – that is, recruiting people to be foster parents. Through a televised spot, Coach Self is inviting adults to open their hearts and homes to youth who are in foster care due to abuse, neglect and other family challenges. People who respond to Self’s call to community service will not only provide a child or teenager in need with a safe, loving environment; they will also add rich meaning and depth to their own lives.

Watch the commercial:

Self has served for many years on KVC’s board of directors and headlines the annual KVC Hero Luncheon in the greater Kansas City area (the sixth lunch takes place on June 15 in Overland Park, Kansas). By lending his excellent reputation as a coach, mentor and leader to draw attention to children who have endured traumatic experiences, Self extends his service even further.

In Kansas, there is an urgent need for new kinship and foster families to care for the more than 6,800 children and adolescents in care. The availability of more foster homes makes it more likely that children who enter care can remain in their schools and communities and with their siblings, minimizing disruption to their lives during a difficult time.

People from all types of backgrounds can qualify to foster a child. Foster parents can be single or married, own or rent their home, have children already or not, and work full-time or stay home. Learn more at www.kvckansas.org/foster.

Children who enter foster care have been removed from their homes by the courts due to abuse or neglect. Foster care is a safe place that gives the child and his or her birth family an opportunity to resolve conflicts or disruptions and learn healthy skills so the child can safely return home. More than half of children who enter foster care are safely reunited with their birth families.

“I know what it’s like to coach a winning team of 15 players,” said Coach Self. “Some KVC foster parents have cared for 50, 75 and even 100 winning children. I’m proud to be on the board of KVC Health Systems and we need you on our team. Make a donation, mentor a teen, or consider fostering or adopting a child.” 

About KVC Health Systems, Inc.

KVC Health Systems, headquartered in the greater Kansas City area, is a private, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization committed to enriching and enhancing the lives of children and families by providing medical and behavioral healthcare, social services, and education. KVC’s diverse continuum of services includes in-home family support, foster care, adoption, behavioral healthcare, and children’s psychiatric hospitals. In its 47-year history, KVC has grown from a single Kansas home for boys to a national organization touching over 60,000 people’s lives each year in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Kentucky and West Virginia and providing training and consultation internationally. KVC is accredited by The Joint Commission, considered the gold standard in healthcare. Learn more at www.kvc.org.