- May 8, 2021
The state of South Carolina is observing the month of May as Foster Care Awareness Month. The observance is meant to highlight the need for foster care for children and youth across the state.
The recognition of the month as such is being spearheaded by the Department of Social Services (DSS). According to the figures released by the department, nearly 4,000 children across South Carolina remain in foster care. The department’s first priority is to find Kinship Care when the parents of a child are unable to offer suitable care.
However, foster care is a viable option when suitable Kinship Care options are not available. DSS Director Michael Leach appreciated the role played by foster parents in offering a sanctuary to vulnerable children at a time when the parents of the children are unable to do so. Such sanctuary and care offered by the foster parents play a crucial role in helping a child achieve the stability that is pertinent to a successful future, said Director Leach.
A key focus of Foster Care Awareness Month is to emphasize how families and their children or youth should ideally stay connected throughout foster care. Such engagement through any court hearings and legal proceedings is important to ensure that a child or youth is eventually reunited with his or her family.
The observance also highlights the need for meaningful connections during the present period of isolation caused by the COVID-19 situation. The isolation has created distances between foster care children and youth, and their families.
At the same time, South Carolina is also in need of more foster homes. With a greater number of foster homes available, it is possible for foster care children or youth to stay close to their families and stay connected with their siblings and parents.
Foster care cases can sometimes become contentious. For such cases, an adoption attorney in Greenville, SC can help both the actual families and foster families sort out their differences.
Source: https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/539904518/may-recognized-as-foster-care-awareness-month-in-south-carolina
