National Foster Care Month puts focus on need for foster families in Minnesota

May 31--In Fergus Falls, there are 26 active foster care licenses. In the whole of Otter Tail County, there are 68. Still, there's a shortage in Minnesota. Each year, May is National Foster Care Month and is used as a time to acknowledge foster parents, family members, volunteers, mentors, policymakers, child welfare professionals and other members of the community who help children and youth in foster care find permanent homes.

On any given day, there are more than 9,000 children and young adults in out-of-home care in Minnesota according to the Department of Human Services. There are 49 foster care youth currently being served by Kindred Family Focus Northwest Region, based right here in Fergus Falls. While there are foster homes in the area, Kindred Family Focus hopes people know that there is still a great local need for more.

The number of Minnesota children in Minnesota's foster care system has risen by 51 percent since 2013. With this drastic increase, many county and tribal agencies have a shortage of family foster homes and are in urgent need for families to be licensed to care for the state's children. Not only does this decision help youth in need, becoming a foster parent is enriching for the whole family as well.

A local foster family shared their testimony through Kindred Family Focus:

"When our foster son arrived at our home with his county worker and birth mom, he told his worker after a while in our home 'I'm never leaving here!'

From the beginning, we were working hard to reunite our foster son with his birth mom. His birth father was not a part of their lives. Time had passed, circumstances had changed and we ended up gaining the opportunity to adopt our foster son. Once we received the approval to be able to share the news with our foster son, we did right away. After we told him, he was so excited and wanted to find out when the adoption would be able to take place. It seemed like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

The day we were given the court date for the adoption finalization couldn't come fast enough. Our foster son marched into the courtroom patiently waiting for the judge to come out. After our legal piece was done, the judge asked our now 'official' son if he had anything to say. He grabbed the microphone and shouted loud and clear that, "This is the best day of my life!"

The joy we've received from having him as our own is so heartwarming. We continue to be amazed at how much progress he has made and continues to make. He went from taking numerous medications down to only two, and therapy appointments from weekly to only once a month. He no longer needs an IEP at school and his behaviors have disappeared. This was such a huge relief as his behaviors were extreme. He has completed a full year in mainstream classes at school and has begun his second year now where he plays clarinet, football, baseball and basketball, all of which weren't possible before. He has friends which is another huge blessing.

Our son finally has stability in his life, a family who loves him unconditionally, and has never given up on him. We love him and honestly couldn't be more proud to be his mom and dad! Like our son said when he walked into our home for the first time "I'm never leaving here!" and we are grateful to be able to say he won't. His forever family is us and we're so proud to have him as our son.'

For more information, or if you're thinking of becoming a local foster family, call Kindred Family Focus at 612-331-4429 or visit nexus-yfs.org/sites/kindred/contactus. For more information about foster care and adoption in the state as a whole, visit mn.gov/dhs.

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