This news item expired on Saturday, May 6, 2017 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
There are 10,000 children in foster care in North Carolina and around 300 children in foster care in Buncombe County alone. The number of children coming into care has remained mostly the same over the past 5 years, while the number of foster homes has declined, leading to a foster home shortage.
Child placing agencies from across the region are holding a recruitment event:
- United for Foster Care WNC
- Asheville Outlets on May 6th from 11am – 4pm,
to educate the public about the need for foster parents.
The United for Foster Care WNC Event at Asheville Outlets will allow the community to learn more about the issues that cause kids to come into foster care and how foster children are being served in our area. This family-friendly, free event will include games, face painting, iHeart radio personalities- Josh and Ariel from Star 104.3, and more. Agencies from across the region will be on site to answer questions about fostering and how you can be involved in the important work of helping children.
When there are not enough foster homes, children are placed in group homes or outside of the county. In Buncombe County, there are 100 children who are placed out of the County due to a lack of foster homes or services available to them. Amy Huntsman, a Buncombe County Foster Care Supervisor says, “When children in foster care are placed in a familiar setting, it can act as a stabilizing force for the child. Being moved from county to county due to a lack of foster home placements makes maintaining family, community, medical and school connections difficult to near impossible. We need help from the community to keep these kids connected to their hometown.”
“Sometimes people don’t realize that different agencies specialize the services that they offer for children. As a person who might be interested in a specific kind of fostering experience, this event offers all the information you need all in one place,” Huntsman says.
Participating Organizations Include:
A Caring Alternative
Access Family Services
Adoption Options Consulting/WNC Adoption Resources
BAIR Foundation
Baptist Children's Home
Black Mountain Home for Children
Biltmore Church
Brandi Nichole Family Enrichment
Buncombe County DHHS
Children’s Hope Alliance
Children’s Home Society
Eliada Homes for Children
Family Preservation Community Services
Guardian Ad Litem Association
Huntsman adds, “We are all working for the same goal- to provide a safe home and healthy future for the youth of Buncombe County. We know that there are many patient, flexible, and stable people in our region who are also looking for ways to get involved. As long as you are genuinely interested in keeping kids safe, healthy and stable, come out and talk to us on May 6th. We would love to meet you!”
For information on the United for Foster Care WNC event, please contact Amy Huntsman, 828-785-3698 or amy.huntsman@buncombecounty.org.