A Note from Jenn Stout
On Fourth of July
A Fourth of July Spark of Belonging: Celebrating Freedom, Family, and Foster Care
Every July 4th, we gather for the same familiar joys — fireworks that light up the sky, cookouts that bring everyone to the yard, and that unmistakable feeling of summer freedom. But for many children in foster care, freedom takes on a different meaning. It’s not about sparklers or parades. It’s about the freedom to feel safe, to feel seen, and to feel like they belong.
This holiday reminds us that independence isn’t only a national value — it’s something we help children build every day. Foster parents, kinship caregivers, and the community at large play a powerful role in giving young people the freedom to grow into who they are meant to be.
🎆 Small Moments, Big Impact
Sometimes the most meaningful memories aren’t the big fireworks shows — they’re the little things:
A foster parent teaching a child how to hold a sparkler for the first time
A teen helping flip burgers at a family cookout
A child realizing they’re included in the matching red white and blue Tshirts
A caregiver saving a seat on the blanket “just for them”
These moments may seem small, but for a child who has experienced uncertainty, they can feel like fireworks in their own right.
🇺🇸 Celebrating the Heart of Foster Care
This Fourth of July, we celebrate the caregivers who open their homes and hearts. You create spaces where children can experience the freedom to laugh, to learn, and to simply be kids. You show them that belonging isn’t something earned — it’s something given.
And to the children and teens in foster care: your courage, resilience, and hope are the brightest sparks of all.
🍉 A Light-Hearted Thought for the Holiday
If your July 4th cookout ends with sticky watermelon faces, mismatched flipflops, and someone accidentally setting off a firework a little too early… congratulations. You’re doing summer right.
And if your home includes a child in foster care this year, you’re doing something even more meaningful — you’re giving them a place to celebrate, a place to return to, and a place to belong.
Jenn Stout
Chief Administrative Officer
FFA-NC
Jenn Stout -Chief Administrative Officer -FFA-NC
