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Cabarrus County officials say foster-home shortage is driving placements into group care; officials urge community to step forward
Summary
County child-welfare staff told the Board of Commissioners that Cabarrus has about 184 children in foster care but only 43 licensed homes, creating placement shortages, sibling separations and pressure on existing foster families. Officials outlined training and basic requirements and appealed for volunteers, respite and community support.
At a May 18 Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners meeting, Dr. Paris Brown, program administrator for permanency planning in the county Department of Social Services, told commissioners the county is serving about 184 children in foster care while maintaining only 43 licensed foster homes, a gap she said is driving emergency placements and use of congregate care.
“That simply aren’t enough placements to meet the need,” Dr. Paris Brown said, describing how shortages force children to move between homes and can separate siblings. She said the county’s priority is reunification when it is safe, but that adoption, guardianship and other permanency paths must be available when reunification is not possible.
Why it matters: Foster-home shortages can increase placement instability and long-term harms for children, county staff said. Brown and other child-welfare supervisors emphasized that more licensed homes would reduce emergency placements, limit moves between placements, and improve chances of reunification or stable permanency.
Lisa DePalo, permanency planning supervisor, illustrated the stakes with a local case: a family that licensed through Cabarrus two years ago and provided multiple placements while supporting shared parenting and court attendance. DePalo said the home’s commitment helped one little girl reunify with her father and later allowed siblings to be placed together when adoption became the permanency plan.
Foster parent Jessica Hartford, who identified herself as a former foster youth, urged neighbors to consider fostering or supporting foster families. “What if that was my child?” Hartford asked, describing children who arrive with few belongings and the emotional trauma that follows. She said foster parents often must help birth parents access services and said many ways exist to help beyond opening a home — by donating supplies, providing respite or offering mentoring.
County staff outlined the basic requirements and supports for prospective foster parents: age at least 21, a stable home and income, criminal background checks, a drug-free and safe environment, and completion of state-required trauma-informed training (a 30-hour course in North Carolina). The presenters also listed local and national resources — including the Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina and Fostering NC — for training, advocacy and placement coordination.
What comes next: The DSS presentation concluded with a recruitment call to action and information on how to contact licensing staff. Commissioners said they will continue to promote foster-family recruitment as a county priority.
The presentation did not include any formal board vote; it was delivered as an informational agenda item.
