Contact: Joe Scialfa or Gina Paige ― 608-266-9000
(MADISON) – In recognition of Foster Care Month, First Lady Tonette Walker and Department of Children and Families Secretary Eloise Anderson presented a special award to Ty and Lisa Montgomery for their dedication to raising awareness of the ongoing need for more foster parents who will provide safe and loving homes to children in need.
Foster families throughout Wisconsin play an important role in the lives of children who require a temporary home, while also providing care and guidance to children and families in crisis. In recognition of the Montgomery’s remarkable efforts to help recruit more Wisconsin families to provider foster care and to highlight the joy that fostering can provide a family, Ty and Lisa were presented a Champion of Change Award during a special ceremony in the Assembly Chamber of the State Capitol.
“We cannot fully express the importance of the work Ty and Lisa Montgomery are doing for the state of Wisconsin and our foster care system,” said DCF Secretary Eloise Anderson. “Children entering foster care are at one of the most difficult periods in their life, and thanks to the dedication and passion of the Montgomerys, we are seeing more families motivated to step up and support their communities by becoming foster parents.”
Growing up with 17 foster brothers throughout his childhood, Ty was motivated by his personal family life to bring more awareness to the ongoing need for more loving foster families. In 2016, Ty helped kick off the “Life Interrupted” foster care recruitment campaign, driving a 250 percent increase in the number of people requesting information about how to become a foster parent.
Soon after, Ty joined forces with his mother to create an eight video series – Montgomery Moments – to encourage others to learn more about becoming a foster parent. The results continued to be astounding, with the videos receiving over 55,000 views and another 37 percent increase in website traffic.
Through Ty and Lisa’s commitment to the foster care community, more children are receiving a safe and loving environment to call home. But, there is always a need for additional kind, responsible adults to step forward and care for foster children. Currently in Wisconsin there are about 8,000 children living in out-of-home care. For more information on becoming a foster parent, visit https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/fostercare/become.
To see Ty accept his award, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ovt1hf1O1HU&feature=youtu.be.
