Children’s Home Society Conducts Make a Difference May To Help Support Foster Family Efforts
May 14 2024 - 9:51AM
North Carolina is facing a foster care crisis in that there are
nearly 11,000 children in care with only 5,400 licensed foster
homes. From 2021 to 2023, the state saw a 20% decline in the number
of licensed foster homes.
On Monday, May 20, Children’s Home Society of NC (CHS) will
launch a one-day fundraising campaign spotlighting this decrease in
the number of foster homes to raise vital funds to increase
awareness of the need and support CHS’s work with foster
families.
On this 20th day of May, during National Foster Care Month,
contributions of $20, $200, $2,000, or any amount of choice, can be
made to help CHS recruit, train, and support foster families as
they open their homes and hearts to children in need of foster
care, while they await reunification, guardianship with relatives,
or adoption.
“This dramatic decline in available foster parents means that
children who have been removed from their homes, who are feeling
confused and scared, can end up sleeping in government offices or
medical facilities because there is no home available to take them
in when they most need the comfort of a foster family,” said
Kristen Brown Smalley, CHS Chief Development Officer. “We are
raising awareness of this crisis because we know that anyone who is
a parent, grandparent, or who has loved a child, would want better
for our community’s most vulnerable children.”
The awareness effort is designed to create understanding of the
significant number of children across the state who need
transitional care and to give insight into the rewards of
fostering, not only for the child, but for the foster parents.
The rewards extend to the foster parents and families of origin
as well. Families of origin are often able to overcome challenging
times and reunite with their children when foster parents
participate in shared parenting and support reunification. About
half of children in foster care are reunified with their families –
most often within two years. CHS is committed to supporting these
families and children throughout their foster care journey.
To help Make a Difference on May 20 give.chsnc.org/may. For more
information on Children’s Home Society and becoming a foster
parent, please call 800-632-1400 or visit www.chsnc.org.
Children's Home Society is dedicated to providing top-quality,
evidence-based programs and services to children and families
throughout North Carolina. Our education and child welfare staff
provided services to more than 22,000 individuals last year,
educating and preserving families, supporting children and families
through transitions, and creating new families.
About Children’s Home Society of North CarolinaChildren’s Home
Society offers a network of services and support throughout North
Carolina to help establish and sustain healthy, loving
relationships in every family. For 120 years, Children’s Home
Society has provided a broad spectrum of programs and services
including adoption, foster care, parenting education, family
preservation, and teen responsibility. Children’s Home Society
believes in the importance of family, not only in the life of a
child but also in the foundation of a community. For more
information, visit www.chsnc.org.
Dillard Spring
Children's Home Society of North Carolina
800-632-1400
dspring@chsnc.org