Event hopes to bolster number of homes available to foster children
The entire community is invited to come Thursday to learn how to help — by fostering children or supporting foster parents.
In any given month approximately 325 Floyd County children are in foster care, and many of those children are placed out of the area because there aren’t enough foster homes locally.
Homes of Hope is an event taking place Thursday at the Forum River Center and organizers are hoping to bolster the number of homes available to take in a child going through a traumatic time.
“Homes of Hope is an effort of Restoration Rome and the Floyd County foster care community to raise up new foster families and provide consistent and effective support for existing foster families in our area,” said Courtney Cash, vice president of development and community engagement for Restoration Rome.
“(It) is the first major communitywide foster care fellowship and recruiting event in Northwest Georgia,” he said. “It is a collaborative event of children’s service providers, churches, the City of Rome and the Division of Family and Children Services, all working together to identify and train new foster families and to build communities of care in support of those families. It is also an effort to allow current foster families to come together in support of each other.”
Floyd County has one of the highest rates in the state of children in foster care, Cash said.
Not all children remain in the local area when this happens, and when children are sent to foster care outside of their community, it increases the trauma of being removed from their home situation and also decreases the chances for reunification with loved ones.
“With only 45 approved foster homes, this means that Floyd County also has one of the highest rates for foster children sent for placement out of the county — far away from family, friends and all that is familiar to them,” he said.
‘With only 45 approved foster homes, this means that Floyd County also has one of the highest rates for foster children sent for placement out of the county.’ Courtney Cash
“There is a desperate need for more approved foster homes in Floyd County and a concerted effort (for) intervention services to lower the number of children in care,” Cash continued.
Homes of Hope, which is free to attend and open to any member of the community, will open at 5:30 p.m. with an exhibit area of 20 children’s service agencies.
The program will begin at 6:30 p.m. Restoration Rome co-founders Jeff and Mary Margaret Mauer will be guest speakers, and Bishop Aaron Blake, founder of the Stand Sunday Movement, will be the featured speaker.
Blake ministers at Greater Faith Community Church in Brownwood, Texas, and began the Stand Sunday Movement, calling for his congregation to stand with him and open their homes to foster children in their community.
In the decade following that initial call, Blake’s church, which has fewer than 200 members, became family to scores of children previously living in the foster care system, and Brown County became one of the only counties in Texas with more foster homes than children needing placement.
Not everyone can or wants to be a foster parent. But anyone can help lessen the foster care problem that is happening in this community by becoming part of a support network to help existing foster families and the children they serve.
“There are many families in our community with a passion to help hurting children, however, the decision to become a foster family can be overwhelming,” Mary Margaret Mauer said. “Homes of Hope is an opportunity for anyone to learn more about becoming a
foster family, finding support for your foster family, or just signing up to serve foster families.”
“More than half of Floyd County families only foster once,” Cash said. “We can reverse that trend with improved services and a community of support. There will … be many opportunities presented for individuals, families and groups to volunteer at Restoration Rome. We also encourage our church partners to get involved through volunteer projects, gather donated goods for children and to give through financial support.”
More than 30 service providers, agencies, church partners, corporate sponsors and the Division of Family and Children Services are working to present this program of opportunities to Rome and Floyd County.
“It has been overwhelming to see the amount of community support for this effort,” Cash said. “We encourage everyone to visit our social media pages, website and this event to learn about each of these partners and show them our greatest appreciation.”
Individuals and families interested in attending Homes of Hope can find more information and register at www.restorationrome.org or call 706-528-4033. Foster care families and advocates also can request promotional materials to share with their churches or businesses by emailing ccash@restorationrome.org.
‘Homes of Hope is an opportunity for anyone to learn more about becoming a foster family, finding support for your foster family, or just signing up to serve foster families.’ Mary Margaret Mauer ‘It has been overwhelming to see the amount of community support for this effort.’ Courtney Cash