Latest news with #Basye
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Montana non-profit launches statewide movement to address foster care crisis
Mar. 21—A Montana nonprofit is calling for urgent action this May, launching a statewide movement to recruit more families to foster the thousands of children crowding the state's foster care system. The number of children in Montana still waiting for a family currently outnumbers the families available to care for them by two-to-one. In response, Child Bridge, a nonprofit dedicated to finding and equipping families to care for children who've suffered abuse and neglect, is launching a statewide recruiting initiative in honor of National Foster Care Awareness Month in May. There are currently around 2,000 children in Montana's foster system. Without intervention, these children are at serious risk of falling victim to sex trafficking, substance abuse, teen pregnancy and homelessness, according to the National Foster Youth Institute. "These kids aren't looking for a superhero. They're looking for you," says Eric Basye, Executive Director at Child Bridge. "You don't have to be special to change a child's life. You just have to be willing." The movement, themed "You don't have to be a superhero to be a foster parent," seeks to dispel the myth that only extraordinary people can foster. Every child deserves a safe and stable family, and ordinary people—people just like you—can change real lives. Starting in May, Child Bridge is calling on churches across Montana to host a Foster Awareness Sunday—a dedicated time to highlight the urgent need for foster families, share resources and encourage families to consider fostering. By hosting a Foster Awareness Sunday, churches can play a direct role in addressing the foster care crisis and ensuring the children in their own communities find the families they desperately need. Child Bridge believes that by mobilizing communities and families, we can break the generational cycle of trauma that currently holds our state captive. "There's no such thing as a perfect parent, and there's never a perfect time to foster," Basye adds. "Montanans take care of Montanans and these kids need your help now." How You Can Help Churches: Host a Foster Awareness Sunday in May to educate and inspire your congregation. Individuals & Families: Attend a free, virtual info meeting to learn more about becoming a foster parent. Community Members: Spread the word. Encourage families you know to consider fostering and to learn more. For more information about joining the movement, hosting a Foster Awareness Sunday or becoming a foster parent, please visit or contact Mary Cloud Vander Ark.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Councilors discuss upcoming taxidermy collection vote
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — On Tuesday night, the Sioux Falls City Council will decide if a collection of taxidermy animals will head to new homes. The Brockhouse animal collection, which was gifted to the city in the 1980s, was on display at the Delbridge museum at the Great Plains Zoo for decades. Changes coming to 101 North Phillips Ave. But the museum was closed in 2023 after arsenic was found in a majority of the roughly 150 animals. That same year, a work group was formed to determine the next steps. After weighing the options and sifting through proposals, the work group has recommended most of the collection go to the the University of Notre Dame Museum of Biodiversity. Now it's up to the Sioux Falls City Council to decide if the collection will be gifted to three out-of-state nonprofits. 'This is a challenging vote and I wish it wasn't on our desk,' City Councilor Miranda Basye said. Basye spoke about her connection to the Brockhouse animals at a press conference Tuesday morning. 'For me personally, I'm a fourth generation Sioux Falls resident, and so I have some pretty vivid memories of this collection,' Basye said. Still Bayse supports relocating the mounts ranging in age from 50 to 80 years old. 'I look at the University of Notre Dame and their mission and their purpose and why they would want a collection like this on display and that to me fits better, that this collection would be cared for immensely. It would have the continued lifespan as opposed to being where it is or where it has been next to the zoo,' Basye said. The other two nonprofits that could be gifted some of the collection are the Institute for Natural History Arts and the Oddities Museum. 'Another thing to touch on with all these groups, is they are expanding collections. This is not them getting a collection and starting a museum from scratch. This is something that is adding to a collection that they already have and that is something that's important to me as well because you have the longevity. They already have an endowment. They already have operating expenses. They already have staff to go in and routinely care for these animals,' City Councilor Richard Thomason said. Basye plans on introducing an amendment to the resolution Tuesday night. 'That would create a Delbridge Wildlife Legacy Exhibit, a tribute to conservation and community, so I'll be asking my fellow councilors to support an investment at the zoo in an interactive exhibit that would honor the legacy of the Brockhouse and Delbridge families and their contributions not just to our city, but the evolution of wildlife conservation,' Basye said. The city council meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
