Many of you may not realize that I used to be a social worker. In fact, I was a foster care social worker for many years in Los Angeles and I worked in a group home in Arnold for teens – I loved every minute of it! So, when Tracy Madera, LCSW, the Foster/Adoptive Parent Recruitment & Retention Specialist of Anne Arundel County Department of Social Services (AACDSS) reached out to see if Annapolis Moms could partner to help with a huge crisis they are having, it was a very big yes!
I had a two-hour conversation with Tracy, and it was tragic to hear what our teens are dealing with today! Right now, we have 126 youth in care and only 61 licensed local foster families. Out of those families 77% request youth between the ages 0-12. However, 51% of our foster youth population are 12 and older. This means 23% of our families are expected to provide care for 51% of our youth! “Due to the lack of homes for teens, youth may be placed in higher levels of care or out of the county simply because we don’t have the local resources to meet the need. We have seen an increase of children in foster care and low numbers of foster families for years, but with COVID and inflation, we are in real crisis now!” Tracy said.
No one would ever say that parenting teens is easy and certainly teens in the foster care system come with extra needs which might include therapy sessions, setting up visits with family, helping them get to their home school to keep their friends and supports, and supporting them through times of uncertainty. There are also incredible rewards to fostering a teen. They can make great strides in their development as you help them work towards a productive adulthood. Many teens wind up becoming part of the family expanding the love and experiences of their foster families. Anne Arundel County Department of Social Services needs local families who have room in their hearts and homes to foster our youth. Roughly 60 new children enter foster care in our county every year, and our highest need continues to be families willing to take older youth (12 and up) and their sibling groups. Our children come from families that are in crisis, and they need the consistency of a caring home until they can be reunited with their families, placed with relatives, or adopted. When you become a foster parent in Anne Arundel County, you join a network of foster and adoptive parents that are neighborhood-based and culturally sensitive who can provide you with support and community.
Make a difference in the life of an Anne Arundel County child today. To sign up for an inquiry call or for one of the monthly information sessions, please visit the foster care website at www.annearundelfostercare.com, contact 410-897-3950, or email at annearundel.fostercare@maryland.gov.
by Lisa Peri, MSW, Publisher
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