TITLE
Title
DHHS - SOCIAL SERVICES DIVISION UPDATE ON FOSTER CARE
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SPONSOR
Sponsor
Heather Skeens (Sharon Barlow)
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BACKGROUND
Background
Currently Guilford County has 542 children that are in foster care. This is a significant increase from our numbers previously reported. The number of children in foster care continues to rise across the state due to a number of different factors and variables, including poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, domestic violence and a host of other issues.
Other notable impacts to the number of children in foster care are several federal and state policy changes that have recently been implemented. These changes have also contributed to the increases number of children in foster care.
Our social workers employed with the Children’s Services Division have increasing caseloads and shifts have been made within the department to ensure adequate coverage of the amount of foster care cases.
Recruitment and Licensing
Due to the receipt of Adoption Promotion Fund monies, we have been able to invest in major recruitment efforts for foster and adoptive parents. Information Sessions are being offered to the public to raise awareness and answer the questions of potential foster care families. We previously shared radio ads that were being played on the triad’s major listening stations. In addition, there are two commercials currently being aired by Time Warner Cable and Fox 8. One featuring a family that adopted children through Guilford County and the other featuring two of our very own Commissioners.
Since our recruitment efforts have increased, we have licensed (35) new homes and (9) pending with the state for approval.
Ongoing Plan
In response to the increasing numbers, our agency has increased efforts to address challenges and gaps including: ongoing conversations with local judges, partnerships with organizations to evaluate needs and the continuous media campaign. This is in an effort to understand ou...
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