Heritage Children Services Home Resource Coordinator Jessy Jefferson says Kentucky, and the nation as a whole, is seeing a major shortage in available foster homes, with numbers down nearly 50 percent from last year.
“These kids need safe places, and when these kids suffer, all of our community suffers,” Jefferson says. “They need to be somewhere safe where someone can guide them, give them direction, where they can get services, where they can get therapy, because we do therapeutic foster care here.”
Jefferson says some potential foster parents are afraid they will be largely on their own taking care of children in need. She says in addition to covering training for foster parents, there are multiple systems of support in place.
“These kids get free medical from the state,” Jefferson says. “They get free therapy services. We give money to help take care of them, to take care of their basic everyday needs. There’s just tons of support that already sets you up for success.”
Jefferson says if you are unable to provide a foster home space at this time, you can still support children in need by helping to spread the word.
“We really just need people,” Jefferson says. “Even if you can’t be a foster parent, if you’ve got a business, partner with us so that we can get the word out. We can do an event, set up something where you’re at, I can bring some stuff to hand out, give people information. These kids need us. They really do. If you have a church, we’ll partner with you. I want to partner with law enforcement.”
Learn more by contacting Heritage Children Services in Elizabethtown at 270-506-3766 or by visiting www.heritagechildrenservices.com.
