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Commissioner urges residents to help with foster family shortage, cites 172 children in care
Summary
A commissioner said Rockingham County currently has 172 children in foster care and only 10 licensed foster families, and urged residents to contact DSS and attend an information event on Oct. 29 at Wentworth Park.
Rockingham County Commissioner Barrow on Sept. 2 urged residents to consider becoming foster parents, saying the county currently has 172 children in foster care and 10 licensed foster families.
"We are at the point where we're having to find foster families outside of the county," Barrow said, adding that children placed outside the county may be removed from their social lives and schools. He asked residents who might be willing to open their homes to contact the Department of Social Services and said the department will host a trunk-or-treat information event about foster care on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at Wentworth Park.
Why it matters: The commissioner framed the shortage as a countywide child-welfare issue that affects school stability and social supports for children removed from their homes.
Next steps: Residents interested in fostering were directed to contact the county DSS for licensing information and to attend the Oct. 29 outreach event.
