Thousands of Connecticut children in foster care looking for safe, stable homes
Right now, the Connecticut Department of Children and Families has 3,200 kids in its custody, with about 2,200 of them in foster care.
May is National Foster Care Month, and those in the industry are highlighting the significant need for safe, stable homes for Connecticut children.
“It’s tough because, you know, we hear all the time that there’s just so many kids and just not enough homes,” said Jordan McNally, a foster dad from Hartford.
Jordan McNally and his husband are just months away from officially adopting their first child — a child who has felt like theirs for about a year now.
“Outside of home, he does call us dad, which I think the first time he said it to one of the kids that he was hanging out with, it kind of like, hit me like, ‘Oh my God, did you just say that?’” McNally said.
But Jordan and John didn’t get to this place alone. They got here with a village, specifically The Village for Families & Children.
“We really pride ourselves on being a village and being that for people that need it in our community,” said Amanda Ayers Haley, Clinical Supervisor of Foster Care at The Village.
The Village is the largest foster care provider in the state. Right now, they’re seeing trends they say are on board with the rest of the state.
At the moment, they have 70 licensed foster families and 107 youth in their care.
“I think the idea of foster care can be really intimidating for a lot of people,” Ayers Haley said. “And I think that there’s probably a lot of questions that folks have about foster care.”
The Village helps foster families through the process from start to finish.
It started for Jordan and John last September with classes, meet and greets, family therapy, and getting their license to foster a child. By March, their son was placed in their home.
“It’s been nice to really see him just be a kid and just kind of let all of that stress and anxiety that he’s dealt with for so long, and then he’s been through just kind of like wash away,” McNally said. “I think that that’s the real touching part behind it is like, where would he be right now otherwise?”
“When you see those breakthroughs, you really do see a difference,” Ayers Haley said. “You see, kids who are more trusting. You see kids who are open to accepting love. You see kids who are more motivated for their future.”
The problem is that they have more children in need than foster families able to love and care for them.
So, they’re asking anyone who’s interested in getting involved, to help in any way they can.
“There’s so many different ways to get involved than just being a foster parent,” Ayers Haley said. “We take whatever support we can get from folks that are passionate about providing a safe, nurturing environment for our youth.”
That help can also look like becoming a respite provider, providing care after school or on the weekends when a primary foster parent needs support. It can also come in the form of volunteering or donations.
“If you know somebody that has been, you know, kind of on the fence about it or has questions about it, always reach out to us at The Village,” Ayers Haley said. “We have an amazing licensing and recruitment team that can answer any questions that you have about foster care.”
And all it takes to get there is the first step.
“Just get into it,” McNally said. “There’s so many kids out there right now that just need a home and someone to care about them.”
For those interested in working with The Village, call (860) 236-4511 or visit thevillage.org for more information. You can also call DCF through 1-888-KID-HERO, or 1-888-543-4376.
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