Westmoreland County child welfare officials on Tuesday put out a call for foster parents saying there was a dire need to find homes for older teens.
Children’s Bureau Director Shara Saveikis said they county needs dozens of homes to transition teens ages 14 through 17 from group homes into family settings as part of a revised strategy to better care for troubled youth.
“All children deserve a loving, temporary home, not just our younger children,” Saveikis said.
The county currently has 271 children in foster care. Officials said 42% of the 59 teens ages 14 or older in children’s bureau care are in group homes. A legislative change instituted in 2018 redirected federal funding away from group homes towards foster care settings that include both relatives of children and those with no connection who take on the caregiver roles.
Jason Slonceski, the agency’s deputy director who oversees the foster care program, said in recent years it’s become increasingly harder to find homes for older children.
“We’re looking for parents who understand these kids have issues, that these kids are going to be dealing with mental health issues or trauma in their lives,” Slonceski said.
Westmoreland County now has 189 approved foster homes that include both family members such as grandparents and those with no familiar ties. Officials said 69 kids entered children’s bureau care so far in 2021 and more than half of those were 14 and older.
Foster parents are required to pass criminal history and child abuse clearances, undergo a home study and have acceptable references before they are permitted to host children. Foster parents receive a $50 per diem for children 16 and older. Homes with children ages 12 to 15 receive $35 a day and $30 daily for newborns through age 11.
“We’ve known that older children get harder to place. Once a kid becomes a teen the overwhelming number of them go into group homes. We want kids to have as normal a life as possible,” Slonceski said.
The county held its first virtual information session for prospective foster parents in May and will hold additional on-line recruitment events in September, October, November and December. Information and links to access those events can be found on Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau website.