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August 24, 2008

Group seeks more foster homes

By Charles Oliver

Just a few weeks ago, Whitfield County had 231 children needing foster homes but only 28 homes to place them in, says Jason Yarbrough, a member of the Whitfield County Foster Recruitment Committee.

Murray County had more than 80 children needing foster homes and just 25 homes to place them in, he added.

The committee was formed earlier this year to raise awareness of foster homes and to encourage more adults to become foster parents.

“This is the first time that I’ve been involved that we’ve really tried to push and recruit more foster parents to get involved,” Yarbrough said.

What happens to a child who can’t be placed in a local foster home?

“If a child can’t be placed in a foster home in the county they are taken from, (officials) look at group homes,” said Yarbrough, who is also president of the Whitfield County Foster and Adoptive Parent Association.

“If there’s no opening in a group foster home, or if they don’t think it’s suitable for that child, they place them in another county,” he said. “I don’t know the exact percentage, but a great percentage of children in both Whitfield and Murray counties are placed outside either county, some are as far south as Macon or even Savannah.”

Yarbrough, who has been a foster parent for about six years, said that isn’t the most ideal solution.

“The child has been taken out of their home, and that’s a difficult transition,” he said. “We want to keep everything as normal as we can. I know that sounds odd. But if they can stay in the same school, the same community, keep doing the same sports and so forth that they are accustomed to, it makes it as easy as possible for the child.”

Also, he says, if the child is placed out of the county, it makes it harder for parents to visit that child.

“Most foster children have a reunification plan with their parents, and part of that plan is to meet with them, visit with them and have interactions,” he said. “It’s hard to do that if they are in south Georgia.”

The recruitment committee is advertising on local media for people interested in becoming foster parents.

“We are also targeting churches. We are going to have a flier that we want for them to insert in their bulletins or make available to their members,” he said.

Those who are interested in becoming a foster parent can call (877) 210-5437, or they can call the Whitfield County Department of Family and Children Services at (706) 272-2331. Churches interested in getting copies of the flier should call DFCS.

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