SALT LAKE CITY — The Most Reverend John C. Wester, bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, received a letter of gratitude from the Utah Foster Care Foundation. The letter, dated Feb. 12, 2008, was written by Kelly Peterson, chief executive officer of the Utah Foster Care Foundation on behalf of Utah’s children and youth in the foster care system. "I would like to thank you for your willingness to help us with articles and press releases about the need for foster families," Peterson wrote. "Your quote (facilitated by one of our former Board members Dee Rowland) was mentioned in numerous articles, on web sites, and posters which publicized a foster/adoptive forum at Juan Diego Catholic High School Jan. 15. We were pleased to see over 50 people attend the forum, many of them interested in becoming foster/adoptive parents. "Currently, there are over 2,600 children in Utah’s foster care system. These children have significant special needs due to neglect and/or abuse they have suffered. Factors such as poverty, homelessness, alcohol and drug abuse contribute to the incidence of neglect and abuse in many families leaving innocent children as the victims." The Utah Foster Care Foundation is a private, non-profit organization authorized by Utah’s Governor and Legislature in 1999 to improve and support Utah’s foster care system, Peterson wrote. "Our mission is to serve Utah’s children by finding, educating, and nurturing families to meet the needs of children in foster care. We have successfully recruited and trained over 5,000 families to date. "The need for more foster/adoptive families to care for children/youth is ongoing and consistent across the state of Utah. Your gracious assistance and the excellent coverage in the Intermountain Catholic by Barbara Stinson Lee have had a significant impact on getting the word out to members of the Catholic community. "...You can be assured your support and interest will make a positive difference in the lives of many vulnerable children."
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