Did you know there are more than 400,000 children in the U.S. who are in the foster care system? The average age of a child in foster care is 8 years old, and there are more boys than girls. There are so many kids who need a home, support and love.

My guest today is Allie Roth, president and founder of With Love, which aims to help foster families change the lives of children ages 0-6 by providing resources that nurture dignity, hope and community.

2:42 – Allie Roth 101

• Allie is married with two children and has always loved kids. She was a teacher and learned about some of the needs in the community.
• She doesn’t say “foster kids.” She says “kids in foster care.”
• She created her nonprofit in the Portland area.

7:18 – Misconceptions about foster care

• In Oregon, about 1 in 100 kids are in foster care, which is double the national average. It is not normal. On any given day, there are around 7,000 kids.
• Part of the reason is the opiate crisis and housing instability

13:28 – Misconceptions about kids in foster care

• No kid goes into foster care through a fault of their own.
• Kids need a loving place to land while their parents are in rehab or have other issues.
• 60% of the kids in foster care come from neglect.

17:15 – Fulfilling needs

• They have volunteers who shop for the kids so the kids feel seen and known. They gather car seats, bottles, shoes and other basics.
• After 90 days, foster parents can reach out and ask for more supplies.

21:53 – How did Allie begin With Love?

• Beginning a nonprofit is really hard. Allie talked with other nonprofits to find out how they did it.
• She focused on volunteering, and found a lot of retired people who wanted to help.

27:27 – Connecting with other organizations

• Allie gets calls and emails all the time about working with other organizations. She is very active on social media and has met a lot of people through that.
• Eventually, she wants to do replication seminars so people can learn about foster care 101.

36:17 – Ways people can support Allie’s work

• Intentionality is key. Instead of just dropping your stuff off at a donation center, ask yourself, “Who can I bless with what I have?”
• Allie believes in transparency and shares how her organization is doing in an annual report and on social media.

43:11 – How her kids have adapted to being foster family

• Having kids is a huge asset. For Allie’s family, she brings in kids who are younger than her children.
• They don’t have a placement all the time, so her kids get excited when a new child comes to stay.

46:27 – Get to know Allie

• Her guilty pleasure? People Magazine
• Song she has to sing? Panic at the Disco’s “Hey Look Ma, I Made It”

FEATURED QUOTES

“In Oregon, there are about 1 in 100 kids in foster care. That number is double the national average, so that is not normal.” – Allie

“On any given day [in Oregon], there are around 7,000 kids in foster care, ages o to 18.” – Allie

“Volunteers are the heartbeat of what we do.” – Allie

“Who can I really bless with what I have? That’s being intentional.” – Allie

CONNECT:

• https://www.withloveoregon.org/
• https://www.withloveoregon.org/allie-roth

About Allie Roth: 

Allie Roth is the President and Founder of With Love, which is a non-profit organization working to support foster families in Portland, Oregon. For Allie, With Love is more than an organization with a cause, it’s a must-have movement. Since 2013, she has brought love and dignity to the forefront of foster care, changing the lives of thousands of families and kids in the community.