Montana nonprofit eases foster process

MISSOULA, Mont. — Child Bridge, a Montana nonprofit, provides coaching, community and other resources for foster families across the state.

Mistie Fair, a teacher in Missoula, said the group gave her key support when she decided to foster and later adopt her two daughters.

“There’s a community. So, if anything comes up, there’s probably someone that’s not as surprised as you,” Fair said.

Child Bridge fills many gaps in the foster system by partnering with the state and other groups to help children move into stable environments.

Dan Minor, senior director of donor relations at Child Bridge, said the nonprofit has assisted hundreds of families across Montana.

“There’s roughly 650 licensed foster care families in the state and we work with about 400 of those families,” Minor said.

Fair called the support she received from Child Bridge a gift and said having that community has helped her focus on caring for her daughters.

“What makes it worthwhile is to see the kids start to realize that they are safe, that they are cared for. It doesn’t matter if it’s for a little while or if it’s forever. They deserve that,” Fair said.

Child Bridge said they are always looking for more foster families and volunteers, which you can learn more about on their website.