Feature/General
All They Need Is Love
By Brigette Love, M.S.W
April/May 2005

May is National Foster Care Month, a time to raise awareness of the need for more foster parents, as well as honor the Foster Families and case managers who care for the children living in foster care every day. There are over 14,000 children in foster care in Georgia who are trying to “survive” being separated from their birth families and coping with the effects of child maltreatment. Children who come into the state’s custody and are placed in foster care do so as a result of many factors, most often the result of abuse and neglect. The Foster Care system in Georgia is administered by the Department of Human Resources’ Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS). This system is designed to provide a temporary home and safe haven for children when their birth families are unable to care for them. The goal of DFCS is to find permanency for these children whether through reunification with their birth families (when the situation at home is safe), a permanent placement with other birth relatives, or adoption. Although reunifying parents and children is a goal, many times reunification is not possible and the goal then becomes finding safe, secure, and nurturing permanent families children can call their own, where they can grow and lead a successful lives. This goal is often difficult to achieve, considering the number of approved foster and adoptive homes across the state.

How does this effect you and your community?
In Clarke County there are approximately 148 children in state custody who are in foster care. While all of these children are in some type of foster care placement, there are only 53 regular Foster Homes in the county. Many of these homes may be lost in the next year due to a child in foster care being adopted by the Foster Parents. Due to the increasing number of children entering the foster care system and the loss of approved homes, the need for approved Foster Homes in Clarke County is quite substantial, as it is in most counties throughout Georgia.

At any given time there are about 250 children in Georgia’s foster care system that are waiting to be adopted. These children are seeking a permanent home with a special family. A majority of these children are African American, sibling groups, children over the age of eight and/or children with physical, emotional or mental disabilities. While completely free for adoption, many of these children will wait months and sometimes years for an adoptive resource to be found. The wait for a “forever family” is agonizing for most children, and sometimes a family is never found. As with Foster Homes, there is a great need for Adoptive families in Clarke County and throughout the state.

Who can become a Foster or Adoptive Parent?
You can be single or married, widowed, divorced, old or young, male or female, and come from all financial and cultural backgrounds. You must be at least 25 if you are single, and you must be at least 10 years older than a child placed for foster care or adoption. Background information including a drug screen, physical, criminal records check, references and Child Protective Services history will be gathered.

How do you become a Foster or Adoptive Parent?
You must first attend a free orientation class for prospective Foster and Adoptive Parents. Orientation classes in Clarke County are offered the 3rd Wednesday of each month at the Clarke County DFCS office at 284 North Avenue in Athens, but they are offered throughout the state on an ongoing basis as well. After attending Orientation, you must attend a 20-hour training session called IMPACT. Home visits by a case manager will also be conducted at this time. These classes are offered throughout the year and state on an ongoing basis for prospective foster and adoptive parents. Approved Foster Parents are also required to complete 10 hours of continued parent development training and re-evaluation each year.

Make a real and lasting difference by sharing your home, time, energy, and love with a child, teenager, or sibling group in need of a caring home. Fostering and Adopting are infinitely rewarding experiences. Help a child win immunity from future trauma by becoming a Foster or Adoptive Parent! For more information about foster care or adoption, make a toll free call to 1-877-210-KIDS or call your local Department of Family and Children Services. Other opportunities to help children in foster care and Foster or Adoptive families are also available.

Brigette Love is a Social Services Specialist with the Clarke County Department of Family and Children Services