MONROE - Green County is in need of foster parents to help in caring for foster children. Children are placed in foster care because it has been determined by child protective services and the court that they are not safe to remain in the home due to neglect, physical and/or sexual abuse.
There are approximately 5,100 foster homes across the state of Wisconsin to care for approximately 8,000 children each year. There is an ongoing need for foster parents, especially those who can care for sibling groups, teenagers and children with disabilities.
Foster parents also provide respite for other foster parents in order to give them a break, as well as families in need of a break to reduce the likelihood of out-of-placements. Respite can reduce stress levels in families, thereby increasing stability and safety within the family. Respite care providers are people who have training and experience in caring for children. The providers are licensed foster parents or certified childcare agencies.
One foster parents states, "We decided to get involved in foster parenting because we wanted to make a positive difference in the lives of children. As we had different children in our home, we began to see it far more reaching than just the child that lives with us. We get the chance to develop relationships with the families as well. Some of those relationships have carried past the placement itself, as we have become a support for that family, and sometimes friends.
"It is an amazing experience to watch a child and their family change and grow so they can reunite. Because of foster care, we have had the privilege of influencing many more children than we could have ever imagined. Each one has a special place in our heart, in the way only a child can."
For more information on the foster care program, contact Angela Wardlow, Foster Care Coordinator, Green County Human Services, (608) 328-9313. Her e-mail is awardlow@gchsd.org.
There are approximately 5,100 foster homes across the state of Wisconsin to care for approximately 8,000 children each year. There is an ongoing need for foster parents, especially those who can care for sibling groups, teenagers and children with disabilities.
Foster parents also provide respite for other foster parents in order to give them a break, as well as families in need of a break to reduce the likelihood of out-of-placements. Respite can reduce stress levels in families, thereby increasing stability and safety within the family. Respite care providers are people who have training and experience in caring for children. The providers are licensed foster parents or certified childcare agencies.
One foster parents states, "We decided to get involved in foster parenting because we wanted to make a positive difference in the lives of children. As we had different children in our home, we began to see it far more reaching than just the child that lives with us. We get the chance to develop relationships with the families as well. Some of those relationships have carried past the placement itself, as we have become a support for that family, and sometimes friends.
"It is an amazing experience to watch a child and their family change and grow so they can reunite. Because of foster care, we have had the privilege of influencing many more children than we could have ever imagined. Each one has a special place in our heart, in the way only a child can."
For more information on the foster care program, contact Angela Wardlow, Foster Care Coordinator, Green County Human Services, (608) 328-9313. Her e-mail is awardlow@gchsd.org.
