Delaware joins a national campaign focused on finding permanent homes for children in foster care.
The initiative comes from U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Sec. Lynn Johnson. The HHS Administration for Children and Families is launching its first ever ALL-IN Foster Adoption Challenge to try to find permanent homes for the nearly 122,000 children across the country in foster care.
“It builds on some of the efforts we’ve had here in Delaware, but this is the first time there’s been a coordinated response at that level,” said Trenee Parker, Director of the Delaware’s Division of Family Services.
499 kids are in Delaware’s foster care program, 143 of those have the goal of adoption.
Parker says there are also opportunities for families and organizations to help these children beyond adoption.
“Reaching out perhaps to become a mentor to a child or youth who has served in foster care, reaching out to organizations who want to play a greater role in supporting children who are in out-of-home care,” she said.
Parker says Delaware is looking to partner with neighboring states as well as local organizations on this initiative.
More information on adoption and similar programs can be found on the Delaware Division of Family Services website.
So far this year 58 Delaware children in foster care have found forever homes.
