In honor of a 3-year-old girl who died Tuesday night from severe internal and external injuries caused by alleged abuse, Texarkana, Ark., police are asking area residents to wear blue on Friday.
"TAPD is encouraging everyone to wear blue on Friday in honor of this deceased child and all other children who have suffered abuse," said Kristi Bennett, spokeswoman for TAPD. April is Child Abuse Awareness Month.
The girl, identified on a GoFundMe page as Kinley, died in Arkansas Children's Hospital after she was airlifted there Tuesday with severe injuries resulting from alleged abuse.
Her stepmother has been arrested on second-degree capitol murder charges, and her father has been arrested on charges of permitting the abuse of a minor.
Two other children in the home are in DHS custody.
Texarkana has a real shortage of foster homes and anyone who can provide a stable, loving environment is encouraged to consider fostering, officials said.
The news of Kinley's death has outraged many community residents.
"I have received several phone calls today from people who want to do something to help children," said Angela Coston, founder and executive director of the nonprofit For the Sake of One, a faith-based group that supports the local foster care community.
"People are talking about this case, and I want to tell people, 'Don't talk about it; do something about it,'" Coston said.
For the Sake of One also works closely with a group called The CALL in Miller County.
There is an informational meeting at 6:30 p.m. tonight at Spring Lake Park Baptist Church. Anyone interested in fostering or volunteering in Arkansas or Texas is encouraged to attend.
Coston said a lot of people get discouraged though because they want to help and find out it's a long process to become a foster parent. "It doesn't happen overnight," she said. "But don't be discouraged. For the Sake of One will help you through every step of the process, but it is a long process."
Miller County has only four foster parent homes and Bowie County only has a few also.
In fact, four out of five children can't stay local because there are not enough foster families, Coston said.
Coston said, "A lot of the way to recruit new families is to support current foster families and show them it's not a big, scary thing."
Every other month, the group has a Foster Parents' Night Out. "Many foster parents never get a break because of the requirements from the state for babysitters, so we give them a night off," she said.
For the Sake of One is also planning a training class for prospective Foster Care relief babysitters on April 27.
For the Sake of One also holds monthly support groups for foster and adoptive parents that are hosted by local churches. The group also provides school supplies and Christmas presents for all kinship and foster placements from Miller, Bowie, Cass and Little River counties.
For the Sake of One also offers encouragement for case workers. There is a considerable amount of turnover among caseworkers, who often struggle with things they see on the job.
"About 75 percent of caseworkers quit in the first year, and it's really better for the kids who stay with same case workers," Coston said.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help with funeral expenses for Kinley. The page was initially set up Tuesday to help with travel expenses for Kinley's biological mother to get to Arkansas. It was changed to funeral expenses after the girl died.