The Bluebird Parade for Children in Foster Care
“Bluebird Kids” by Cynthia Burke
To all our bluebird artists – thank you! You created one unique bluebird work of art to represent each child in foster care in our community today – 160 in all.
BLUEBIRD ART
Send your bluebird art to: [email protected]
or drop it off at the Piedmont CASA office at 818 East High Street.
VOTE – for your favorite bluebird and they could win $200
Artwork submitted by April 30 is in the Vote Contest. The three bluebird works of art with the most votes will win! These prizes are courtesy of the Kiwanis Club of Charlottesville. You can vote once a day every day through May 29. On May 30, we will announce the winners live on our Facebook page.
- FIRST – $200 Amazon Gift Card
- SECOND – $100 Amazon Gift Card
- THIRD – $50 Amazon Gift Card
RAFFLE PRIZES – everyone who submits a bluebird is in the once-a-week drawing
Beginning the week following the Bluebird Parade, we will have a live raffle drawing on our Facebook page every Monday between 6:00 and 6:30. Everyone who submits a bluebird is eligible. We will be giving away gift cards from some of our favorite supporters like MarieBette Café and Bakery and Gearharts Fine Chocolates – all courtesy of the Kiwanis Club of Charlottesville!
- May 9
- May 16
- May 23
- May 30
With apologies to all the bluebirds who put on their best finery – we have to cancel the live portion of our 2022 Bluebird Parade slated for Friday, May 13
Due to the rainy weather and other unfortunate events, we will have to forgo a live Bluebird Parade for another year.
You may not be able to see our 2022 Bluebird Parade in person, but you can see the fabulous Bluebird Parade online. You can even vote for your favorite bluebird-work-of-art so they can win an Amazon Gift Card!
Big thanks to the special guests who were going to make this year’s Bluebird Parade amazing
Sherry Taylor of the Z95.1 Morning Show
Rebecca Ricardo, LCSW
And our roving musician, John Powell
The 2022 Bluebird Parade for Foster Children is sponsored by (the fabulous) Kiwanis Club of Charlottesville
The Kiwanis Club of Charlottesville is proud to support Piedmont CASA and The Foster Care and Adoption Awareness Coalition–FCAAC–in this project to raise awareness and to benefit the foster children of our community.
On May 1, Gearharts will bring out their popular Limited Edition Bluebird Chocolates — and MarieBette will be all aflutter with bluebirds on their cakes and breads. It is all in generous support of The Bluebird Parade and our kids in foster care.
How The Bluebird Parade Began…
During National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, you’ll often see blue pinwheels displayed around town. They represent the importance of communities working together to strengthen our families and prevent child abuse and neglect. The following month is National Foster Care Month – so May blooms with blue ribbons signifying support for children in the foster care system.
The Bluebird Parade evolved from these important acknowledgements of the struggles of our vulnerable families and children. Each year in April, we ask the community to donate bluebird works of art, one to represent each child in foster care. And each year our community responds. Artists, families, children, and organizations create an amazing array of inspiring bluebirds. In May, all the artworks flock together for the Bluebird Parade for Children in Foster Care.
The Bluebird Parade used to take place on Charlottesville’s Historic Downtown Mall during the First Friday in May. But when the pandemic arrived in 2020, we moved the parade online – and expanded our bluebird flock to include music, videos, poetry, and prose. Taking the bluebirds online also meant we could cherish the artworks in a video that is posted and viewed year round.
Thank you to everyone who creates these wonderful bluebirds, and allows us to share them with the world. Most of all, thank you for helping to raise awareness for our kids in foster care. These children will help build the future of our community, but right now their future depends on us.
Meet the organizations behind the Bluebird Parade for Children in Foster Care
UMFS
UMFS is an unwavering champion for high-risk children and families, collaborating with communities to help them reach their full potential.
PIEDMONT CASA
Piedmont CASA is on a mission to champion and restore children and youth whose lives have been compromised by abuse and neglect.
PEOPLE PLACES
Fostering resilience in children and families so they can thrive.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS AT PVCC
We provide resources, tools, information and guidance to empower our participants in reaching their educational and career goals.
DEPAUL COMMUNITY RESOURCES
We work to ensure safety, promote permanency, facilitate healing, and support independence for the children and families we serve.
CHARLOTTESVILLE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
We work to protect children and adults from abuse and neglect and to promote and support the development of healthy families.
COMMUNITY ATTENTION FOSTER FAMILIES – CAFF
Our mission is to
provide short-term, long-term, and permanent homes for children of all ages while they
maintain connections to their families and community.
ALBEMARLE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
We provide services that promote self-sufficiency and support individual and family well-being.
The Bluebird Project is a creation of the Foster Care and Adoption Awareness Coalition, which is comprised of these organizations: Community Attention Foster Families (CAFF), the Departments of Social Services in Albemarle and Charlottesville, DePaul Community Resources, Great Expectations, PeoplePlaces, Piedmont CASA, and UMFS.