NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 18, 2017
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Nichole Rahman, 218-726-2244 (Duluth area)
Jessie Schunk, 218-471-7793 (north St. Louis County)
Information sessions offered for prospective foster parents
St. Louis County continues to need loving foster parents to provide a temporary, stable environment for children in out-of-home placement. To make it easier for people who are considering opening their home to learn what it takes to serve as a foster parent, county social workers are hosting two open house-style information sessions. The sessions will be:
Monday, February 5, 3:30-630 p.m.
Northland Office Center, 307 South First Street, Virginia
Friday, February 9, noon-1:30 p.m.
Government Services Center, 320 West 2nd Street, Duluth
Foster home licensors will be available to meet one-on-one with people to answer questions about foster care options and the requirements. There will be no formal presentation, so people can stay for whatever length of time fits their schedule.
The County is in constant need of temporary foster homes, short term/emergency homes, and foster/adopt homes for infants, children and youth. An average of 700 children are in out-of-home placement on any given day in St. Louis County. That number, while high, has at last leveled off after several years of dramatic increase. However, the complexity of the situations, often due to parents’ drug addictions and/or mental illness has resulted in children having to remain in foster care for longer periods before they can be safely reunited with their families.
Anyone over the age of 21 can serve as a foster parent. Marital status, income level, culture or religion do not matter. For questions about the open house, or about requirements to be licensed as a foster parent, visit stlouiscountymn.gov/childfostercare or call (218) 726-2168 in the Duluth area or 218-404-5330 for north St. Louis County (north of Cotton.)
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