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Contact:
Maria Elena Baca, Communications, 612-348-7865
In more than a decade since Rev. Warren S. Carey and his
wife Nadine took in their daughter’s friend, a 12-year-old who was being beaten by
her parents, they have cared for more than 100 kids. They have opened their Brooklyn Park home, and their hearts, as Hennepin County foster
parents and as shelter foster care providers for kids who have just been
removed from their homes and are awaiting placement with a family.
During the month of May, Hennepin County is thanking the nearly 500 foster parents the county licenses, and working to build awareness of the acute need for additional foster families.
Foster families provide a short-term, loving haven for children who cannot safely live at home because of abuse or neglect. The ultimate goal is to preserve children’s well-being, but the hope is to support children and their parents as they work toward reunification. During that process, foster families play a vital role in showing children and birth parents a healthier way to live together.
"We have a great capacity to love and give of ourselves," said Warren Carey, a pastor at Tree of Life Church in Northeast Minneapolis. "There are folks out there who understand parenting and children and they probably are experienced at it and they have a lot to give and a lot to offer."
Foster care by the
numbers
As of last quarter, 1,492 Hennepin County children were
living with foster families.
- 54% of children were boys; 46 were girls
- 20% of children in foster care were less than a year
old
- 33% were ages 6 to 12
- 10% of children in foster care in 2015 were adopted by their foster parents, relatives or others
"A loving adult and a safe home are an enormous gift to a young
person who likely had a difficult start in life," said Commissioner Marion Greene. "We thank foster parents for
all they do to make our community a better place, and we stress the need for more arms to be opened to children.”
Take the first step
For information about becoming a foster parent, visit www.hennepin.us/fostercare.
The first step toward becoming a
foster parent is to attend an information session. The next regular session is Monday, June 13, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Hennepin County Library – Ridgedale, 12601 Ridgedale Drive, Minnetonka.
Special Foster Care Month event
Come for an information meeting featuring a panel of current
foster parents from 5 to 7 p.m. and join us for a resource fair between 4 and 8
p.m. The
event will be held Thursday, May 26, 4 to 8 p.m., Hennepin County Library –
Brookdale, 6125 Shingle Creek Parkway, Brooklyn Center | Map
RSVPs appreciated to Brenda.Brisley@hennepin.us.
Warren and Nadine Carey are available for interviews. Please contact Hennepin County Communications for a connection.
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Look for more news on
the Hennepin County website at www.hennepin.us/news.
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