The governor's stay-home order has resulted in more connections with prospective foster families, says the director of Every Child
The number of families inquiring about becoming foster parents or adopting through the state is soaring during this pandemic.
Foster parent inquiries ticked up from March to April and have more than doubled since this time last year. And the number of adoption inquiries have nearly quadrupled since this time last year, according to the nonprofit Every Child Oregon.
The group shared its April Community Engagement Report with Street Roots, which shows 86 foster care inquiries last month, compared to 36 in April 2019 — a 139% increase. The numbers in March were also high, with 84 people showing interest in becoming a foster parent.
The number of adoption inquiries was even more dramatic: 51 last month, compared to just 15 in April 2019 — a 240% increase. March statistics show 47 adoption inquiries.
Every Child works in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Human Services and is responsible for the recruitment of general applicant foster families in Oregon. Its executive director, Brooke Gray, attributes the increased interest in fostering and adoption to several coronavirus-related events, including the governor’s “Stay Home, Save Lives” order, which has left some families with more time to think about the idea of fostering or adopting.
“When everything shut down, we made a decision to call anyone who had inquired about foster parenting over the last few months who were not quite ready to go through certification,” Gray said.
With more people online and available to take calls at home, Gray said, “getting the chance to actually connect with someone — and share the need — has dramatically impacted the number of people who are ready to begin the certification process.”
The idea of completing certification quickly at home convinced Bernetta Calloway of Gresham to reconnect with Every Child and move forward with her training to become a foster parent.
Calloway is an endoscopy technician at a local hospital but is working “on call” from home during the COVID-19 epidemic. With some extra time on her hands, she thought this was the perfect opportunity to get the process moving.
“I’ve thought about it for quite some time,” Calloway said. “As my children became adults, I felt like I still had a lot to give.”
Having recently moved into a new house with an extra bedroom, Calloway said, “I have empty space that can be filled with someone in need.”
Employees with Every Child and DHS are also reaching out to potential foster parents through the newly formed My NeighbOR emergency response system, which was created to assist foster families during the pandemic. While the system was designed to meet families’ immediate needs during the epidemic, it also provides a space for community members to learn more about fostering, adopting and volunteering.
RESPONSE: My NeighbOR connects foster families with goods and services donated by their neighbors
Social distancing restrictions have posed some extra challenges for DHS and Every Child employees as they recruit new families and help applicants begin the certification process. DHS employees haven’t been able to hold their regular in-person training sessions for prospective foster parents.
When it became clear that the shutdown would most likely continue for months, DHS and Every Child worked together to find a production crew, from River West Church, that was willing to record the DHS Foundations training course in both English and Spanish. On April 20, DHS began offering the course online via Skype videoconferencing.
In addition, Every Child is providing reading materials and videos to applicants, including Calloway, with more information about the process of becoming a foster parent.
“The more I read about it,” Calloway said, “the more it piques my interest, especially the testimonials from other foster parents.”
FOSTER PARENTING: Portland mother has advice for prospective foster parents
DHS employees said the process of taking in a foster child can be swift for a relative or family friend who already knows the child. Temporary foster care certification can be used to place a child with a relative within a day or two — if all safety checks go well. DHS records show a majority of Oregon children in care (47%) are in family foster care placements.
For general applicants, the wait can be longer. Depending on each county’s procedures, Gray said, it can take anywhere from three to nine months to become fully certified. Based on studies she’s seen from across the country, Gray said, it generally takes people three to four years to progress from getting educated about foster care to actually being ready to begin certification.
“It’s a really big commitment,” she said. “It’s not one people take lightly.”
It was a favorite aunt who took in Calloway when she was a teenager. Calloway said her mother and family were loving but she needed more stability.
“Having someone who just took the time — and thought I was worth caring for — made a big difference in my life,” she said.
Now 30 years later, Calloway said, it’s time for her to give back to a child in need — or even a set of siblings.
“If they have a sibling, and it will help give them a sense of normalcy, I’d be open to that,” she said. “We all have something we can do.”
LEARN MORE
For more information on the Oregon foster care system and how you can get involved, visit the websites of Every Child or the Oregon Department of Human Services or call 800-331-0503.
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