Children's Home Society of NC Intensifies Efforts To Recruit Foster Families to Meet Critical Need

GREENSBORO, N.C., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- There are currently more than 12,000 children in foster care in North Carolina, while in 2022 there was a significant decrease of 23% in the number of foster homes. This resulted in only 5,000 total licensed foster homes statewide – not nearly enough to take in all the children who need care.

Children's Home Society of NC (CHS), the largest private provider of foster care and adoption services in the state, receives upwards of 300 requests from Departments of Social Services (DSS) every month for children who need immediate places to stay while their families are dealing with challenging circumstances. Due to the shortage of foster families, CHS is unable to place all of these children.

Both CHS and local DSSs across the state face this obstacle and are partnering to spread awareness of the current shortage and the need for more foster families to care for these children.

"This is a heartbreaking situation for these children and families, some who just need help temporarily while they work through a difficult time," said Brian Maness, CHS President & CEO. "Not only have we stepped up our efforts to recruit foster families, but we are making continuous improvements overall to our foster care program that benefit children and families."

CHS's family recruiters are more active than ever before, attending an increased number of local events throughout North Carolina to reach out to families who may be interested in fostering. CHS offers information sessions for prospective foster parents every week, both in-person and virtually. This allows prospective foster parents to meet with a CHS specialist face-to-face to learn more about the process and have the chance to ask questions about their specific needs.

Additionally, CHS is adding staff to streamline and improve the overall training and licensing processes to ensure more families are able to get their licenses quickly. These additional resources will also benefit CHS foster families after they've taken children into care, by offering more support groups and events to help these families and children in care feel connected to the fostering community.

"While the lack of foster homes is a challenge, our priority is to find the family that is the best fit for every child in care," said Shannon Enoch, CHS Executive Director of Programs. "We are here to provide child and family support throughout the foster care journey."

CHS is actively looking for adults with a heart for children to become foster parents and offers a full spectrum of services to help individuals and couples through the entire licensing and placement processes and throughout their foster care experiences.

Foster parenting is about caring for children temporarily until their families are able to take them home or another permanent plan is determined for the child. About half of children in foster care are reunified with their families – most often within two years.  Other permanent solutions include kinship care, guardianship, or adoption.

The licensing process usually takes four to six months, but once families receive their license, they may be called for a placement within the first 24 hours. The median age of children in care is between 7 and 8. The greatest need is for families willing to care for older children or sibling groups.

For more information about Children's Home Society and how to become a foster parent, please call 1-800-632-1400 or visit www.chsnc.org/foster.

About Children's Home Society of North Carolina 
Children's Home Society offers a network of services and support throughout North Carolina to help establish and sustain healthy, loving relationships in every family. Last year CHS served more than 20,000 North Carolina children and families providing over 4,800 families with parent education and support services and creating a safe family placement for nearly 1,100 children who are in foster care. Children's Home Society has celebrated more than 16,000 adoptions since its founding in 1902, remaining steadfast in its mission to promote the right of every child to a permanent, safe, and loving family.

SOURCE Children’s Home Society of North Carolina