ANDERSON, Ind. — The rate of children in the foster care system is continuously increasing in Indiana. Despite the national average of children in foster care dropping by about 3%, Indiana is still growing.
According to the Indiana Capital Chronicle, there were nearly 12,000 children who went through foster care in 2024. This is a 13% increase from the year prior at 10,500.
One nonprofit organization realized there was work that needed to be done. Tracy Walters founded the faith-based group, Turn Away No Longer. Walters saw the issues children faced in Indiana.
“Kids are coming into foster care in our county at an alarming rate,” Walters said. “We knew that when they came into foster care that they were coming with nothing – that had to change.”
Walters began Turn Away No Longer with her now husband in Oct. 2020. The two would focus on providing for children who are less fortunate than others.
“I was raised by my grandparents so I knew kinda what that was like and I was in foster care as a teen for about a year. And then my husband was raised by his grandmother, she raised nine kids and him,” Walters said.
Turn Away No Longer provides three main services to families in need.
It began with their ‘Swag Pack’ program, giving new bags filled with important goods that children may need.
Also, they have ‘Katie’s Boutique’, a retail-like experience for children and teenagers in foster care. Everything is completely free for the children.
Walters also began the Turn Away No Longer House, a home that gives children a place to stay while awaiting foster placement.
“In Madison County, October 2020, there was like 900 kids in foster care. So think of 900 kids who came into foster care with nothing,” Walters said. “There was no one filling that gap, that need.”
The work done by Turn Away No Longer is not going unnoticed. The organization just received a $50,000 grant from Coca-Cola Consolidated to assist in going further in their journey.
“So that’s gonna help to make sure that house stays running – to be able to provide that service to kids; as well as be able to provide items here at Katie’s Boutique,” Walters said.
Turn Away No Longer is actively accepting volunteers and is always taking donations, especially for the holiday season. For more information about Turn Away No Longer, you can visit their website here.
Contact Payton Mucker with comments at payton.mucker@bsu.edu.
