Children in Crisis: A Foster Family Shortage.

Children in Crisis: A Foster Family Shortage.

by Angela Richardson, CHCS

Kids all over the state of Maine are in desperate need of foster families. These kids range from babies to teens. They need a safe place, a sanctuary, a family where they can feel love and security to heal from trauma of abuse and neglect. Unfortunately, with the drugs crisis wreaking havoc of our communities,  there has been a significant increase of children entering foster care.

Fortunately, there are people in our communities who are willing to help these children heal from their trauma by providing  a loving and caring home. Foster parents come from all walks of life and for various reasons have decided that helping children is a mission in their lives.  Foster parents are there to comfort, nurture and provide a safe home for these children while their parents work on the reasons that brought the child into care. Thank God for people who are willing to give of themselves and their homes. If you know a foster parent, let them know how much they are appreciated. Let them know the world is better place because they opened their homes and their hearts to children in need. For those that know the “starfish story”, foster parents are making a difference, one child at a time.

Sadly though, there are almost two thousand children in foster care in the State of Maine and not enough foster families out there to care for the children. Kids have entered foster care and have had to spend time hotels with their DHHS workers, or crisis units or homeless shelters, simply because there are not enough families willing to care for them. This is a tragedy upon a tragedy for these kids.

You may have thought about becoming a foster parent, but decided for many reasons, that it wasn’t for you.  There are many reasons to not be a foster parent but only one reason to be one. Kids need families. It is that simple.  If you know someone who would make a good foster parent, have them call me, at 254-3065 or come to the Informational Meeting on foster parenting at Katahdin Regional Higher Educational Center at5pm on September 18th , 2018.

CHCS will work with any family willing to consider being a Foster Family whether that is for respite care, for traditional DHHS foster care or for CHCS Treatment Foster Care.  We will help with the licensing process, answer questions  and do the home studies for the families just to make the licensing  process easier.

Please encourage people to become Foster Parents.  CHCS is committed to helping with this shortage and want to be a part of the solution…  Please help, for children’s sake.