Public Invited to Foster Care Forum

Public invited to Foster Care Forum

The reality of the foster/adoption process will be the topic of a public forum Jan 15. Organizers of the forum hope to clarify public misconceptions and highlight the urgent need for foster families, which, can make a lasting difference in the lives of displaced children.

“I wish everyone would give it a try,” says Jessica Steadman, foster mom for over 4 years, “it’s very rewarding. Some people just think that it takes a lot to be a foster parent. But [the kids] can adapt within a day or two to your home. They are very grateful, and they aren’t really any more difficult that my own children. Just give it a shot and see.”

Steadman has helped over 100 kids in the last two and a half years alone. The greatest challenges she has faced include time commitments for meetings and reviews with caseworkers, and saying good bye to children who are going back home.

Substance abuse by parents is a factor is most cases where children need to be placed in foster care, according to the Utah Foster Care website. Other factors include abuse or neglect. “It is a tragic reality that children, for their own safety, must sometimes be removed from their homes,” says The Most Rev. John C. Wester, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City. “Foster care is the combination of public policy and private action that addresses this reality.”

The need for foster families has grown significantly in the last few years. In the Salt Lake Area alone, there are at least 1,000 children in need of foster care, but only 375 foster families available. This demands that some children are placed in homes in neighboring counties, requiring additional and challenging adjustments such as changing schools and making new friends, or with families that may not be completely matched to meet the children’s needs. “A generous supply of families who can welcome a foster child into their home is essential so that every child can be placed where his or her unique needs can be met,” continues Wester.

At the forum, people who currently foster children will be available to answer questions and will talk about the challenges and rewards they have encountered, how their biological children have been affected, their experiences with reunification and working with birth families.

The forum is the result of a partnership between the Utah Foster Care Foundation and Juan Diego High School. Families from all religions are welcome.

The forum will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15, at Juan Diego High School, 300 East 11800 South. The forum will be held in the Black Box Theater. For more information call Christine or Mike at 801-944-5205 or visit: www.utahfostercare.org.