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Northumberland County Children and Youth lays out foster-care vision, seeks 20 new foster families
Summary
Northumberland County Children and Youth presented a new vision and recruitment goals Jan. 6, reporting 122 children in foster care, 23 foster homes and 35 kinship homes and a plan to recruit about 20 families this year to keep placements closer to home.
Cleveland Way, administrator for Northumberland County Children and Youth, and Jennifer Carpenter, supervisor for the county’s foster and kinship program, presented the agency’s new vision to the county commissioners on Jan. 6 and said they plan to expand local foster-care capacity.
Way described the agency’s mission as building ‘‘a compassionate and resilient community where every child is safe, supported, and empowered,’’ and said the department produced a short video to illustrate foster-care work in the county. "A community is what raises a child," Way said, framing the agency’s emphasis on community partnerships.
Jennifer Carpenter gave specific program figures and talked about operational challenges. "Currently, we have 122 children placed in foster care through Northumberland County Children and Youth," she said, adding the agency has "23 foster homes and 35 kinship homes." Carpenter said placements can be up to three hours away, that the county sometimes struggles to keep siblings together because of limited local capacity, and that proximity to schools, doctors and existing support networks is a priority.
To address those gaps, Carpenter said the agency is setting a goal to recruit about 20 foster families this year and is preparing outreach and licensing assistance. "We believe that it is vital for foster parents to stay in our own community for stability and to make connections with friends, schools, doctors, communities, and supporting family reunification," Carpenter said.
Presenters and commissioners emphasized values guiding the effort. Carpenter praised recent leadership and recited six core social-work values—service, social justice, dignity and worth, integrity, and the importance of human relationships—saying those principles inform recruitment and casework. Commissioners thanked staff for their work and framed the presentation as a reminder of positive outcomes the department achieves beyond occasional critical news coverage.
Next steps the presenters described include recruitment campaigns, licensing assistance for prospective foster parents, and continued collaboration with community organizations. Carpenter invited interested residents to contact Northumberland County Children and Youth for information on becoming a licensed foster parent.
