Better Together, a voluntary, community-driven alternative to foster care, has introduced the Hopeful 100 Club to encourage monthly recurring gifts of $100 that cover the costs of keeping a child out of foster care and families together.

Since March, Better Together has seen a 155% increase in requests for help through its Better Families program, a voluntary alternative to foster care that hosts children short-term while mentoring parents through crisis.

“It costs an average of $30,000 per year in taxpayer dollars to keep a child in foster care,” said Megan Rose, CEO, Better Together.

“The alternative is donating $100 per month to cover the cost of providing a child with a safe and caring temporary home while parents work towards reunification. Despite challenges, Better Together has remained fully operational throughout the pandemic. With your support, children can wake up with their parents on Christmas morning rather than in foster care.”

With a small crew of seven full-time staff, Better Together has leveraged the support of hundreds of local volunteers to serve every single family that asked for help.

“We have not turned a single child away,” added Rose.

Better Together is 100% privately funded and community driven, and has served over 2,500 children in Southwest Florida and kept 96% of families together. The nonprofit was founded on the belief that loving parents should not lose children because they are having money problems, or had the courage to seek treatment, or got hospitalized without childcare. These challenges can be overcome with the right support system in place.

To join the Hopeful 100 Club and support Better Together’s mission to help keep Southwest Florida families together, visit BetterTogetherUS.org/Better-Families/Donate/#Hopeful100.