Foster care agencies come together on campaign to highlight foster parent shortage
CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS), has partnered with other organizations to address the shortage of foster care placements.
Along with Aetna Better Health of West Virginia, Mission West Virginia, and ten foster care agencies, a statewide campaign was launched to focus on recruiting foster parents and addressing the shortage of foster care placements in the state of West Virginia.
The campaign highlights single and married adults who would like to consider foster care. It is common for people to want to foster before taking any type of steps to do it.
“This initiative aims to demystify the journey of becoming a foster family in West Virginia. By shedding light on the process, we empower families to better understand and navigate it. Expanding our state’s pool of available foster parents will positively impact the children in need of stable, secure homes, and in turn, impact the future of our entire state,” said Cynthia Persily, Ph.D., Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Human Services.
Many children in West Virginia are in need of safe and secure foster care placement, and the campaign showcases the urgency of this issue. The campaign promotes wefosterwv.org as a central resource to help people become qualified as foster parents.
“‘If you’ve ever considered fostering, West Virginia needs you now.’ That’s the message we want to communicate to people. We know people can be intimidated by the thought of fostering, frequently worrying that they don’t have enough resources or the right personality to open their home to a child or teen,” said Rachel Kinder, Mission West Virginia Executive Director.
Mission West Virginia is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people become foster families and providing them with the education they need to take this milestone on. They can become connected to the ten agencies to the recruitment database.
“Increasing the number of foster parents is critical to strengthening communities and healthy futures for West Virginians. That’s why we’re proud to be supporting this collective effort,” said Kathy Szafran, Aetna Better Health of West Virginia Executive Director.
This statewide effort is funded by Aetna Better Health of West Virginia, who is making sure this campaign reaches everyone, including those in less populated rural areas that are most and those that need foster homes.
WVDA plans for Lymantria dispar treatments for spring 2024
For career opportunities available within DoHS’s Bureau for Social Services (BSS), click here.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.
