San Rafael, CA – As Marin County begins to experience the return of normalcy and the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is expressing gratitude to anyone who supported local children in foster care and those who stepped up to start the process of becoming a resource parent during challenging times.
Resource parent Linda and her son are an example of Marin’s fostering successes.“I want to thank all of our Marin County resource parents because we would not be able to serve our community without the care they provide to our vulnerable youths,” said Bree Marchman, Director of HHS’
Children & Family Services Division. “Those families have stepped up and committed their hearts and homes to foster youths during an unprecedented time of stress and uncertainty.”
The need for more families, especially for teens, has been a constant even prior to COVID-19. Marin averages 85 youths in foster care. As of early June, 40% of them, mostly teens, are placed in homes outside of Marin because of the lack of local resource families.
Anyone who has considered fostering may join Children & Family Services for an information meeting to learn more. The online meetings are held monthly, hosted by a social worker and a resource parent who discuss the application process, training, and support available as well as answer questions. The next orientation will take place virtually at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 9. Register at FosterOurFutureMarin.org.
Children enter into the child welfare system through no fault of their own and deserve to live in stable and loving homes. Every effort is made to keep foster children in their community, to keep siblings together, and to create good matches between kids and families. To do that, Marin needs a larger, more diverse pool of homes. Resource families can provide temporary care to children while biological families work toward reunification or they can choose to be an adoptive family; both are needed.
While not everyone is able to foster a child, any adult can volunteer with the Friends of the Family Program to provide support to resource families. Interested applicants will work with Children & Family Services and the Marin County Volunteers Program to become approved as a Friend of the Family. The assessment process varies depending on the level of involvement a prospective participant will have and may include a background check and an interview with a social worker.
For more information and to register for the June 9 or July 7 orientation meetings, visit FosterOurFutureMarin.org or call Leslie Fields at (415) 473-6418.