Cullman Times. May 7, 2024.

Editorial: May’s spotlight: Consider foster care

In a perfect world, every child would have a home.

It is not a perfect world.

May is National Foster Care Month.

Foster Care Month exists to raise awareness about foster care needs and show appreciation to all foster families.

Currently in our state, according to Alabama Department of Human Resources, “there are approximately 6,000 children in foster care. Some simply need foster care for a matter of days. Others may need foster care until they are reunited with their biological family or a plan is made for them to be adopted. All of these children share the need for a caring and committed family that can bring them the future they deserve.”

The children come from many backgrounds and situations. They are children of all ages and races.

A great many of them have special needs, including teenagers, siblings and children with physical, emotional and/or behavioral disabilities.

The ADHS is tasked with assuring that children are safe from abuse and neglect.

Dedicated caregivers are a critical part of fulfilling that mission.

Once a determination is made that it is not safe for a child to remain in the home of a parent or guardian, the child may be placed in foster care.

The foster care program is designed to be a temporary home away from home while qualified professionals work with the family to address child-safety concerns.

The goal is to return children safely to their families but adds that the child’s safety comes before any other consideration.

The agency is always looking for what it calls “loving, safe and stable homes for the children who are brought into care.” The approval process can take up to 10 months and may require certifications, evaluations and a good bit of documentation.

To inquire about being a foster family, you can begin at https://dhr.alabama.gov/adoption-foster-care-inquiry/.

In a perfect world, foster care would not be needed. In a perfect world, children would never be abused or neglected.

It is not a perfect world.

In our world, children are orphaned, sadly others are abandoned, abused and neglected, making foster care so important and foster families so needed and appreciated.

For more information about services in Cullman County, call the local office at 256-737-5300.

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