AUSTIN, TX. (PRWEB) June 20, 2016 -- Texas is in dire need of foster families after a spike in the number of children removed from their families in 2016 has left dozens of children sleeping in state offices.
The Associated Press reported that in April, over 24 young people spent at least two nights in state offices. That follows 42 children who spent at least two nights in social workers’ offices during March after there were no foster homes available for them.
Buckner Children and Family Services — which provides foster care in nine regions across the state, including North Texas, Lubbock, Amarillo, Longview, Lufkin, Beaumont and the Rio Grande Valley — is asking parents to prayerfully consider opening up their homes to children at this crucial time.
“Each day, more children enter the foster care system,” Buckner Senior Director for Domestic Foster Care Samela Macon said. “They are hurting and alone. We are asking people to help care for them in their time of need.”
According to the Department of Family and Protective Services, CPS has removed an average of 1,599 children from their homes every month this year. In 2015, more than 30,000 children were in state care.
The compounding nature of the system’s inefficiencies in distress often puts pressure on the very people it is intended to serve.
“It’s such a traumatic experience for a child to be separated from their siblings,” Macon said. “Many of our children are caregivers for their siblings. When those kids are separated, they are left not knowing if their sibling will be taken care of or if they’ll even ever see them again. The experience re-traumatizes them.”
On average, children in the foster care system will experience more than six placements while in care, according to DFPS. Though the average length of service from the point of removal to relinquishment of DFPS responsibility is 54.3 months, six percent of the children who exited foster care last year will return within the next 12 months.
“We have a tremendous need for foster families,” Macon said. “There’s a shortage of families and a shortage of families who can take in sibling groups. Beyond providing places of safety, foster families provide love and stability for children at their most vulnerable. Texas needs families to step forward to care for these children in need.”
Buckner staff members are working hard to recruit more foster families.
To find out more about becoming a foster parent, request more information here or call 855-264-8783.
Buckner offers training, education and encouragement along the journey of becoming a foster parent.
Buckner Children and Family Services
For more than 137 years, Buckner Children and Family Services has been transforming lives through hands-on ministry, serving the most vulnerable from the beginning to the ending of life. Buckner is one of the oldest service organizations of its kind in Texas, serving people each year in the United States and worldwide.
Buckner International
Buckner International is a global, faith-based ministry dedicated to transforming the lives of orphans, vulnerable children, families and elders in the United States and around the world. Founded in 1879 in Dallas, Texas, today Buckner serves people worldwide through a variety of programs designed to protect children and build strong families. These programs include foster care and adoption, family transition programs, community-based family preservation programs and retirement services for the elderly. Buckner also provides humanitarian aid and crisis relief to families and communities in the United States and worldwide.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Jordan Corona
Buckner International
Senior Media Relations Coordinator
jcorona(at)buckner(dot)org
O. 214.758.8171
C. 469.394.8266
Jordan Corona, Buckner International, http://buckner.org, +1 (469) 394-8266, [email protected]
SOURCE Buckner International
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