Who Are the Children? A Closer Look At Foster Care By Sherrie Norris Some are taken from their homes in the middle of the night when mom and/or dad are found to be in violation of the law and unable to care for themselves, let alone, their children. Currently there are about thirty children in Watauga County foster homes, which is on the low end of average, according to Tom Hughes, Supervisor of Children’s Services in this county. “We usually have closer to forty at any given time.” Hughes and his staff have a good working relationship with these children, their foster families and try to maintain the same with the birth families. May is recognized as Foster Care Month in North Carolina and a perfect time to heighten awareness about this vital program that makes a huge difference in the lives of youngsters. According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, thousands of children in North Carolina enter the foster care system each year, and range in age from infants to 18 years old. All foster children have unique backgrounds, experiences, personalities, strengths and needs. While not always possible, attempts are made to match foster children with families of similar “functional” backgrounds, states Hughes; for example if children are in single-parent families, then he or she might be better suited to single-parent placement, etc., and they try hard to keep siblings together at all times. Some children in foster care require extensive care for physical or emotional handicaps and disabilities. Some also require help with undisciplined and delinquent behaviors. Statistics tell us that most foster children do not have a strong sense of belonging or self-worth, due to situations they’ve been in and many have been victims of physical or sexual abuse. All children who are in foster care require special care, support and nurturing, and it is the goal of DSS to see that all needs are met as adequately as possible. Who can be a Foster Parent? Foster parents must: · Be at least 21 years old · Have a stable home and income · Be willing to be finger printed and have a criminal records check · Maintain a drug free environment · Complete all required training and be licensed by the state of North Carolina Do Foster Parents have to be Licensed? Yes, North Carolina state law requires that all foster parents be licensed to care for children in their care. These licenses are issued by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. County Departments of Social Services and several private child caring agencies are authorized to work with potential foster parents to assist them with the licensing process and to provide supervision and support for the foster parents. Potential foster parents receive 30 hours of training. The training covers topics such as child abuse and neglect, working with birth parents, and helping foster children deal with the issues they face. It also helps the potential foster parents think about how parenting another child may affect their family. How Do I Become a Foster Parent? To find out more on how to become a licensed foster parent you can visit our Licensing web page, call NC KIDS at 1-877-NCKIDS (1-877-625-4371) or contact your local County Department of Social Services. Your local County Department of Social Services can offer information that will help you decide if foster parenting is right for you. Foster Care Initiatives Family for Kids NC Familes for Kids (FFK) is part a national initiative to reform the child welfare system. NC FFK affirms that every child deserves a safe, loving, permanent home. In response to the increasing number of the children in this country who are entering (and sometimes growing up in) foster care, FFK engages child-serving agencies such as social services, mental health, and the Guardian ad Litem program; families; communities; and the courts to work together to find permanent homes for children. From involving families and communities in decision-making, to providing consistent and quality casework to children and families, to working collaboratively with judges and court personnel, FFK is changing North Carolina’s child welfare system for the better. Challenge for Children The vision of a safe and permanent home within one year for every child for whom a county Department of Social Services has legal custody or placement responsibility is an essential element of our mission to ensure that every child in North Carolina has a safe, permanent, nurturing home. To realize this vision, we began issuing the “Challenge for Children” in 1997. It has been reissued annually since; and as a result, we have come closer to realizing our vision. In the Challenge for Children, we ask every county Department of Social Services in North Carolina to make foster care backlog reduction a top priority for its child welfare system. The backlog includes all children who remain in the custody or placement responsibility of a county Department of Social Services for more than 12 months. In response to accepting the challenge, each county participating is offered special training opportunities and is provided additional technical support. In addition, letters of recommendation are sent to legislators and public officials in each participating county. In 1997, 67 counties submitted formal statements accepting the challenge. Since then each year the number of counties accepting the challenge has increased with all 100 counties accepting the challenge in 2003. Who Pays For The Child’s Care? Foster parents receive financial compensation from the placement agency or a child’s room, board, and other living expenses. Sometimes there are supplemental payments for the care of children with special needs. Although the amount of the financial compensation payments may vary from agency to agency and sometimes based on the individual needs of the foster child, the state has established recommended rates. To find out more on how to become a licensed foster parent you can call NC KIDS at 1-877-NCKIDS (1-877-625-4371) or contact your local County Department of Social Services. Your local County Department of Social Services can offer information that will help you decide if foster parenting is right for you.