PA State Resource Family Assn. and PA Family Support Alliance Mark May as National Foster Care Month

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HARRISBURG, Pa., May 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- May is National Foster Care Month, and the Pennsylvania State Resource Family Association (PSRFA) and the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance (PFSA) are reminding Pennsylvanians that foster parents—also known as resource families—play an important role in the child welfare system.  

More than 31,500 children lived in Pennsylvania's foster care system last year, according to PSRFA Executive Director Kathy Ramper and PFSA Executive Director Angela Liddle.

Foster care exists as a temporary intervention when parents are not able to care for their children.

"Often, the need for foster care arises when parents are incarcerated or in treatment for chemical addiction, as well as when parents abuse or neglect their children for a variety of reasons," Ramper said. "The child welfare system—collectively our county Children and Youth Services offices—works to reunite children with their birth families whenever possible and provides services to children, foster families and birth families to reach this goal."

Liddle said, "Our two organizations often provide training and publications aimed at helping foster parents, birth parents, and family service professionals to work together in support of children who are in foster care. The growing number of families who provide kinship care to children — family members who step forward to care for a child when parents are unable or unwilling to — also need our assistance and support. We believe, as the state Department of Public Welfare does, that every child deserves the love of as many people as possible, regardless of the child's living situation."

Ramper added, "Every one of us, whether we are employed in the child welfare arena or not, has a responsibility to Pennsylvania's children."

Liddle said, "We can all help and support a struggling family and we can all applaud the difficult work done by our state's foster parents. Together, we can provide families for all children."

Those interested in learning more can contact the Pennsylvania State Resource Family Association at www.psrfa.org or the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance at www.pa-fsa.org.

PFSA works with affiliated member agencies across Pennsylvania to provide information, educational materials, and programs that teach and support good parenting practices.

The organization also works through schools, early childhood education centers, religious institutions, and social service agencies to teach "mandated reporters" to recognize the signs of child abuse and neglect and how to appropriately report such cases. Mandated reporters are people who frequently come into contact with children in the course of performing their jobs and are required by law to report abuse and neglect.

SOURCE PA Family Support Alliance