A growing need for foster families

Bowling Green, Ky. – Child welfare advocates say a growing shortage of foster parents is leaving many children in Kentucky without stable homes, forcing agencies to turn away placements and sometimes send children far from their families.

StepStone Family Services, a private foster care agency that works with families across the region, says the need for more foster parents continues to rise.

Makaio Smith, a licensing specialist with the organization, says one of the biggest challenges agencies face is simply finding available homes.

“We have a lack of foster parents,” Smith said. “A lot of kids that come into foster care, we just don’t have beds for them. We’ll get referrals multiple times a week, sometimes multiple times a day, and we have to turn them away because we don’t have a bed that fits that child’s needs.”

Smith said those needs can vary widely depending on the child’s age, gender or level of care required. When homes are not available locally, children are often placed in group homes, residential facilities or even sent to other states.

While those placements can provide care, Smith says distance can make it harder for families to reunify — which is the primary goal of the foster care system.

“Even if a child is removed from their biological family, the point of foster care is reunification,” Smith said. “Moving them out of state can make supervised visits and rebuilding those relationships much harder.”

According to Smith, there are currently about 8,753 children in foster care across Kentucky. Those placements can include private foster homes, state-run homes, group homes and residential treatment facilities.

Older children and teenagers are among those most in need of placements. Smith said many foster families prefer to take in younger children, leaving teens with fewer options.

“Everyone wants the little ones, which is understandable,” Smith said. “But teens need love and stability too. Even if someone takes in a 17-year-old for a short time, they can help guide them — teaching them how to apply for college, learn a trade or manage finances.”

Without that guidance, some young people leave the foster care system at age 18 without the support networks many of their peers rely on.

More than half of children in foster care — about 57 percent — are there with the goal of reunifying with their biological families. Others eventually move toward adoption when reunification is not possible.

Smith said foster parents play a crucial role in supporting children through both outcomes.

“Even if someone is fostering with the hope to adopt, they still have to support reunification if that’s the plan,” Smith said. “The most important thing is making sure the child feels safe, supported and cared for.”

Organizations like StepStone Family Services also provide resources and support to families throughout the foster care process. Smith said the licensing process to become a foster parent typically takes two to three months and includes ongoing guidance from case managers, therapists and program staff.

Beyond fostering, community members can also help through donation drives and awareness campaigns. One recent effort included a blanket drive to provide comfort items for children entering care, many of whom arrive with few belongings.

“Some children come with nothing but the clothes on their backs,” Smith said. “If we can give them something as simple as a blanket or a care bag with toiletries, it helps them know someone is there for them.”

Smith encourages anyone who has considered fostering to take the first step and learn more.

“It can be scary because you don’t know the child who’s coming into your home,” Smith said. “But they’re innocent kids who just need love, safety and stability. Even if you’re only there for a short time, you can make a huge difference in their life.”