This news item expired on Saturday, May 31, 2014 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
Buncombe County HHS wants to say “Thank You!” to the foster parents in our community. In Buncombe County almost 100 foster parents open their hearts and homes to kids in foster care, giving needed shelter to children so they can begin to heal in a safe and nurturing environment.
While foster care is meant to be a temporary living arrangement, sometimes it is not safe for a child to ever return to their birth family. In this case, foster parents may consider adoption as a way to provide a permanent living situation for children. We are also grateful to those who have made this choice to become a forever family for a child.
Unfortunately, there are over 200 kids in foster care in Buncombe County and not enough foster homes to support them. This means that some children must be placed in a group home or out of the state, far away from their siblings and familiar surroundings. More foster parents are needed to give guidance and love to children who are going through a challenging time.
As one Buncombe County teen in foster care said, “I think that being in foster care helped me so much because it gave me a way out of the lifestyle that I had been stuck in all my life. I am 18 years old now and still with my foster parents for that exact reason. Foster care steered my life in the right direction. I know that everybody’s story may be different, but my story is going to end in success. I have foster parents to thank for that.”
If you know someone who fosters children, take the time to thank them for their work. We also want to encourage others to ask themselves: Could I be a foster parent? You don’t have to be a perfect person to be a perfect foster parent. Opening your heart to kids in foster care can profoundly shape a better future for a child and provide rich rewards to a fostering parent.
Click here for more information about foster care.