LEXINGTON, S.C. — May is Foster Care Awareness Month, and the S.C. Department of Social Services (DSS) is trying to get new foster families, ahead of a virtual recruiting event on Thursday, May 20th.
According to DSS there are 4,056 children in care across the state. The three counties with the highest number of children in needing foster care are Richland County with over 500 kids, followed by Lexington County with 172 kids and Kershaw County with 87 kids needing care.
A mother to three, Jordan (who asked we not use her last name for privacy reasons) says she's always wanted to foster. "As my kids got older, we started investigating the process." She's now beginning the process of becoming a foster parent.
"When I was a teacher, I had some foster children in my classroom, and they had some of the most wonderful parents that would work with them," Jordan said. "I would always call them angels because the differences I could see, even if it was only for a little bit of time that they could make in these children's lives, was so special and so important."
Sara (who also asked we not use her last name for privacy reasons), who has two biological girls, has fostered ten children in three years. She says the good days outweigh the bad. "These children are these innocent victims of circumstance and other issues, and they just need a home."
In Richland County, there are 175 children between 13 and 17 in foster care, according to DSS. In Lexington County, 56 teens are, and in Orangeburg County, 28 teens are in foster care. In Saluda County, six teens are in care.
Kaley Lindquist from the non-profit Care2Foster, says the virtual event "Make Room" planned for Thursday May 20 will focus on recruiting foster parents.
"There is a desperate and urgent need for more foster families, specifically that are open to teens, older children and sibling groups," Lindquist says.
The event will offer prospective foster parents the opportunity to meet Richland County Dept. of Social Services and S.C. Foster Parent Association leaders, hear stories from other foster families and learn about fostering.
To register for the event click here.