During a London City Council meeting at the start of the month, the mayor of the city, Troy Rudder, signed a proclamation transforming March into Foster Care and Adoption Month.
The proclamation is one of several efforts being made by the city to raise awareness of foster families and orphans throughout London.
The special advisor of the Office of Faith and Community Based Initiatives, Chris Johnson, told the Sentinel-Echo that the area has reached a "crisis point". More than 9,7000 children in the state are in foster care, more than at any other point in the history of Kentucky. In Laurel County, there are around 140 orphans.
Governments and community organizations that want to raise awareness of an issue and get the support of residents and the community can use poster printing to highlight the concern.
Finding more families to step up and provide quality foster homes to children in need is one of the goals of the new month-long initiative. According to Johnson, the state is also looking for families who can provide "forever homes" to children by adopting them. There are many children who are currently in the care of the state after their parents' rights have been terminated.
During the London City Council meeting, Daniel Carmack, a council member, read the proclamation out loud before the mayor signed it.