Family‑services recruiter tells Baker council region needs hundreds more foster homes

Kelly Worley, a foster‑parent recruitment and support specialist, briefed the Baker City Council on June 24 about a regional shortfall in foster homes and ways residents can help.

"Right now, there are about 480 kiddos in custody in those parishes and only a 180 foster homes," Worley told the council, outlining a gap between children in state custody and available foster placements. Worley explained different fostering options — long‑term traditional fostering, short‑term respite fostering, and kinship care for relatives or people who already have a relationship with a child — and described the training time required for each type.

Worley said general foster parent training is about eight weeks (one evening per week, virtual) while kinship placements require a single class, a background check and a home visit. She also described volunteer roles that do not require fostering, such as mentors, transportation helpers, tutors and meal‑train volunteers, and asked residents to donate items parents need when a child enters care; she noted a new law requires providing every child with luggage rather than a garbage bag.

Worley distributed printed materials and a QR code linking to the region’s recruitment portal and requested that residents who want information contact her. She described the recruitment territory as covering nine regions and said referrals would route to the appropriate regional recruiter.

What happened: councilors invited a regional foster recruiter to explain needs and available volunteer roles; the presentation was informational and intended to spur community recruitment and support. What didn’t happen: no city‑funded program, contract or ordinance was proposed or approved at the meeting.

Council members applauded the information and encouraged residents to follow up with the recruiter for volunteering and foster‑care information.