May 7. May is National Foster Care Month and the first Tuesday of the month is National Foster Care Day. Mecklenburg County residents are encouraged to wear blue to support our community’s foster care youth and the parents who care for them. In conjunction with National Foster Care Month, the County has launched a campaign to recruit foster parents who can offer safety, hope, love, peace, and healing to children who need it most. The campaign coincides with the introduction of a new online application system and process.

Background

A foster parent provides a temporary home for children until they can return to their home or until a permanent home is found. Children typically enter foster care because of abuse, neglect, or dependency. In many cases, older youth and siblings need to stay together.

400 children waiting

Mecklenburg County has just over 400 children in custody at any given point and works with licensing agencies and emergency providers across the state to house them.

67 foster families

But with only 67 foster families licensed by Mecklenburg County, more are needed. The County’s new online portal modernizes the foster parent certification process, making it more straightforward for prospective foster parents to apply and for current foster parents to re-certify.

To learn more about becoming a foster or adoptive parent, or to begin the application process, Mecklenburg County residents can visit MeckNC.gov/KIDS or call 704-336-KIDS (5437).