More than three times number of foster children in Brown County than families willing to take them in

Local foster families are needed: County struggles with care shortage
Arthur, Michael. Ripley Bee, June 21, 2007.

There is currently a shortage in Brown County of families willing to care for local displaced and poverty-stricken children.

Although the county is known for its warmth and willingness to help out those in unfortunate circumstances, Department of Job and Family Services officials say there are more than three times the number of foster children in need of stable homes in Brown County than families willing to take them in, and the situation is only going to get worse.

“There are 25 licensed foster families in the county,” said DJFS Foster Care Coordinator Nicole Williams. “Right now, we have 80 children in the custody of our agency.”

There is currently a shortage in Brown County of families willing to care for local displaced and poverty-stricken children. Although the county is known for its warmth and willingness to help out those in unfortunate circumstances, Department of Job and Family Services officials say there are more than three times the number of foster children in need of stable homes in Brown County than families willing to take them in, and the situation is only going to get worse.

“There are 25 licensed foster families in the county,” said DJFS Foster Care Coordinator Nicole Williams. “Right now, we have 80 children in the custody of our agency.”

Since the numbers obviously do not match up, the county must contract with outside agencies to provide homes and care that the foster children so desperately need. But according to DJFS Director David “Mitch” Sharp, sending foster kids to other counties is not the preferred option for the agency, and can have complicating consequences for the already troubled youngsters as well.

Any time an outside agency is contracted, it has to be paid, of course, with money originally intended to be spent on services within the county. It is always difficult to give up a portion of an agency’s budget, but Sharp said the problem with sending foster kids out of county extends beyond financial concerns.

“We always try to place children with family members, if possible,” said Sharp. “And we try to keep children in the setting that they are used to, near their home and near their school.”

Relocating children with a new family, in a new town and in a new school district can make an already difficult situation even more awkward, Sharp said. Moving in with strangers, no matter how loving, is a delicate and fragile process, and being geographically displaced from friends and familiar settings can make the transition more complicated.

In addition, both Sharp and Brown County Recovery Services Director Steve Dunkin agree problems also arise with mental health services when a foster child crosses county lines. Sharp said it is typical for many foster children to come from troubled backgrounds, and many have received some type of counseling service during or prior to entering foster care. But when the child is relocated to another county, local options for mental health care may no longer be available.

Dunkin said lack of adequate foster care in Brown County has negative effects both socially and economically. Dunkin said children in the foster care program can develop close bonds with local counselors who help the kids deal with often continuous problems with home and family life. But once the child is relocated with a family out of county, geographic and/or bureaucratic restrictions often prevent the child from obtaining the same care, regardless of the child’s connection with a particular counselor or of the progress of the counseling.

Not only do the foster children lose the benefit of prior connections when moving out of county, but Dunkin said Brown County Recovery Services is also required to pay 40 percent of Medicaid charges for children who move and receive services from another agency.

“That ends up being a sizable amount of funds,” said Dunkin.

Dunkin said the situation is unfortunate, especially since he feels that Brown County Recovery Services is a nationally accredited and widely respected organization completely capable of meeting a wide range of mental health care needs, especially in the young. He said Recovery Services would much rather spend the money used to reimburse out-of-county services on building and developing care within the county.

Dunkin said various community leaders from different agencies and backgrounds have discussed establishing a committee to address foster care.

The best way to ensure foster children remain in a familiar and caring community setting, Sharp said, is to increase the availability of foster families. That means families with the time, understanding and means to support a child in need will have to step up and answer the call. Foster families need not be extremely wealthy, extremely intelligent, or high on the social scale. Foster families need only be patient and understanding.

The process is simpler than some might think, although Sharp is quick to note that every aspect of a potential foster parent’s life is checked, and verified to ensure that only the capable and qualified are accepted.

Without exception, potential foster families must hold the child’s welfare as their highest priority.

“Their heart has to be in the right place, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Williams.
Beginning the process is easy – simply call or stop by the Human Services office in Georgetown and ask for information. Department of Job and Family Services can provide booklets outlining all aspects of foster care, and can even put potential care givers in contact with current foster families who can provide first-hand accounts of what to expect.

If still interested, potential foster families fill out an application and complete a total of 40 hours of training with six hour sessions over consecutive Saturdays. The training is provided entirely by DJFS and includes communicable disease and CPR instruction.

Following training, the agency will conduct a home study to inspect the residence where foster children would potentially live. Department of Job and Family Services does not give specific information about the home study, but it is substantial and will reveal possible safety threats for children.

The safety audit is followed by extensive criminal background checks through local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Polygraph examinations have been initiated as well, Sharp said, but more for the purposes of verifying truthful answers than catching lies.

“It is a crime to provide false information on a foster care application,” said Sharp. “Job and Family Services takes that very seriously.”

If the agency determines an applicant would be suitable, the process of matching a child with the family begins. Williams said potential families are given a checklist to complete that indicates what type of child they would be willing to take in. Families can be very specific, she said, and are able to choose from various aspects, including gender and age range.

Williams said there is always a diverse range of children needing foster care.

The agency still stays extremely involved, Williams said, even after a child has been placed. Home visits are conducted up to once a week, and other inspections are scheduled from month to month.

Because many foster children come from difficult backgrounds and can display behavioral problems at times, Williams said the agency offers respite services, when another party can temporarily take care of a foster child as a way to give the foster family a bit of a break.

There is no cost to becoming a foster parent and the state does provide some assistance for the care of foster children. The stipends are not a huge amount of money, however, and Williams said no one is going to get rich from taking care of foster kids. She said the notion that some people become foster parents only to receive the state check is not really credible because the stipend simply isn’t that much. Also, Williams said agency workers can usually spot prospective families who are only interested in the money.

“You really have to care to do this,” said Williams.

You don’t have to be extremely wealthy, however, as Sharp and Williams agreed that average, upper-middle class families usually qualify. Basic financial resources and an exceptionally large heart are all that are required.

Although foster care situations are supposed to be temporary in nature, Sharp said foster parents always have the option of adopting. All licensing provided by the agency is foster-to-adopt, and the ultimate goal is always finding a permanent, stable and loving home.

According to Sharp, the recent Marcus Fiesel foster care scandal has shed light on needed reform in Ohio’s foster care system, and some beneficial changes are on the horizon. Sharp said four House Bills are currently being considered in committee that focus primarily on making sure families are financially capable and have adequate resources to take care of children, legislation that Sharp said is welcome among foster care agencies. Sharp said the legislation is expected to focus on accountability as well.