Wanted: Foster families

One hundred and twenty-nine: that’s the number of children in need of foster care and the number of families the Department of Human Services hopes to reach this year through its annual Give Your Heart to a Child campaign. Jolleen Arnold is the acting supervisor for Child Placement and Specialized Services.

Jacqueline Woods
?Jolleen since this campaign started, just how successful has it been??

Jolleen Arnold, Ag. Supervisor, Child Placement
?Well for starters we have one hundred and fifty-two children placed in one hundred and thirteen foster families countrywide, but we are still in need of more foster parents.?

Jacqueline Woods
?How can one become a foster parent??

Jolleen Arnold
?They first must come into the department, they can call in or walk in and say that they are interested in fostering a child and then we will take them through the necessary process from there.?

Jacqueline Woods
?And how does this benefit the child??

Jolleen Arnold
?The long term statement that children belongs in families, they progress, they function normally in a family, so we think that they are best served and protected while in the family.?

“Give Your Heart to a Child” will run until the end of the year. If you are interested in participating in the campaign, call Jolleen Arnold at telephone numbers 227-7451 or 227-2057.