At the July 7 Committee of the Whole meeting, Sandy DeLuca of Summit County Children's Services briefed council and attendees on what she called a countywide foster‑care crisis and urged residents to consider becoming foster parents.

"We have over 840 children from this county in our custody this week," DeLuca said. She said Summit County had almost 9,300 children receiving services in 2024, 9,119 intake calls the same year, an 81 percent reunification rate and 81 adoptions finalized in 2024. DeLuca said last year ZIP code 44203 (Barberton/Norton area) produced 166 children who entered the agency's custody but had only five foster families available in that ZIP code.

DeLuca described who can become a foster parent and what supports the agency provides: applicants must be 18 or older and live in Summit County or a contiguous county; there is no income or education requirement; foster certifications last four years and foster parents receive ongoing training (about 15 hours per year). The agency provides a per‑diem reimbursement check for child care, covers medical, dental and optical care, and can assist with funding for extracurricular activities and enrichment.

Why it matters: DeLuca said the county has far fewer certified foster homes than children in custody and that keeping children close to family networks improves outcomes; the agency is actively recruiting local families to reduce placements outside the county.

Sources: Sandy DeLuca, Summit County Children's Services presentation at the Barberton Committee of the Whole, July 7.