Newberg Christian Church Hosts Foster Parents’ Night Out

Reported by Danielle Brown

On Jan. 26, Foster Parents’ Night Out (FPNO) had its monthly babysitting service for foster families in the area. Because babysitters for foster families must receive background checks and be trained in how to work with foster kids, George Fox University (GFU) partners with Every Child Oregon to train volunteers and run FPNO.

As a part of their program, an organization from GFU volunteers for the first half of the evening to play with the children. This month students from the William Penn Honors Program read books and gave the children a chance to write their own stories. Of course, the children preferred to make paper airplanes out of loose book pages and enjoyed dragging the college students away from the books to play basketball. The rest of the night was filled with games, activities, crafts and dinner.

Cana Buckley, a Spiritual Life intern and site coordinator for FPNO and, was able to share more about the program’s vision.

“We really see this as a way to love our community well and be the hands and feet of Jesus. Foster children most often come from very difficult backgrounds and lack long term relationships… FPNO is also an opportunity to mentor children in foster care and show them what healthy friendships look like.”

With over 100 new volunteers trained in just the last year, this FPNO site has become one of the biggest in the state.

“Getting to talk to the parents when they return is always a highlight for me,” said Cana. “They are so grateful for the time to rest, especially with the knowledge that their kids are having an amazing night!”