I am often asked about how a person can be involved with foster care without becoming a foster parent. There are so many ways, and today I’m sharing one that you might never have heard of or thought of before.

Have you ever heard of “cuddlers?”

Hospital cuddlers are beautiful people who volunteer to sit in the NICU or PICU and hold babies as they are going through withdrawal. 

A baby is not placed into foster care until he or she is released from the hospital, so while they are going through withdrawal, if their parents are unable to visit them, or even if they visit for a few hours a day, they do not get held nearly enough. The sad part is, babies who are going through withdrawal need to be held even more than a healthy baby. Being held, cuddled, and rocked can help to soothe their pain during withdrawal and speed up the process of coming through.

It is impossible to express the value of their service to these little ones who are, as one friend put it, “in a world of hurt.”

Watch my latest video on A Fostered Life to hear more about this remarkable opportunity to make a huge difference in a baby’s life!