BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — In Alabama, there are less than 2,500 homes available for the nearly 6,000 foster children in need across the state.
Foster care agencies in central Alabama are urging the public to consider assisting the state’s most vulnerable population.
Caseworkers understand that taking on the role of a foster parent can be intimidating. To alleviate potential stressors, programs are available to provide resources and knowledge for new foster parents to help children succeed.
According to Lifeline, a children’s services agency in Jefferson County, there are over 900 children in foster care and 318 foster homes in the area alone.
“It’s children that are going into overcrowded foster homes, or residential foster homes that are not a family setting,” Christie Mac Segers, vice president of domestic services with Lifeline, said.
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At Lifeline, classes are being held to prepare potential foster parents on how to raise a child in the foster care system.