CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There are hundreds of kids in both Mecklenburg and Gaston counties needing foster families but each county has only less than a hundred foster families available to host children. As a result of the shortage, children are being sent to other counties to receive the temporary homes they need.
In Mecklenburg County, there are about 98 licensed homes and 500 kids needing homes. In Gaston County, there are more than 400 kids in need of a home and only 49 active foster parents.
"It’s very concerning and scary," Candice Williams, a recruitment social worker in Gaston County, said. "It's still increasing steadily, it really hasn’t slowed down."
She said things are overwhelming, and the number of kids in need of a home is concerning.
With some of their 49 active foster parents in the county already at capacity, the county is having to look for other options.
"A lot of our kids are having to go to different counties, hours and hours away, and that’s something that we are trying to stop," she said.
One solution, Williams said, is offering families different options including temporary care.
"We have options where families can take a child for a couple of weeks," Williams said. "Some families are comfortable with providing emergency care."
In Mecklenburg County, officials are working with about 98 licensed homes and 16 different agencies to meet their needs.
"Give it a true moment of thought and think about how you can impact the life of a child wanting to be adopted," Bobbette Willis, a Mecklenburg adoption supervisor, said. "I would love to see the number [of children needing homes] decrease."
They said larger sibling groups and older teens are harder to place. They are encouraging anyone who is interested in becoming a foster parent or providing emergency care to visit their website.
Contact Tradesha Woodard at twoodard1@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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