It's a need that has always been with us, the need for foster homes for children.
But now there are more ways than ever to help.
Northern Rivers Family of Services, the parent organization to Northeast Parent & Child Society and Parsons Child & Family Center, launched “Give Hope a Home.” It's an initiative to educate Capital Region residents about regional foster care opportunities.
What will be surprising for many is how many ways they can provide care for a child in need.
Provided that they are eligible, potential foster families now have many avenues for helping children and families in distress. Opportunities range from having a child overnight occasionally to adopting a child and having them become a permanent member of the family.
Bill Marszalek is the Executive Program Director for Foster Care at Northern Rivers.
In this podcast he talks about how great the need is for foster parents, how support is given, and how adults can learn whether or not becoming a foster parent is for them.