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WNY News Now recently sat down with Jennifer and Kathleen from GA Family Services to spread awareness of their foster care services and clear up some of the misconceptions surrounding foster care.

Foster care is focused on providing a temporary home for children while their families work on restabilizing their circumstances. The key role of a foster parent is to provide a place of stability for children enduring turbulent situations. The end goal of foster care is the reunification of the families experiencing hardship.

According to Kathleen, GA Family services is currently caring for 54 youths between their Jamestown and West Seneca offices. The youths coming under their care vary in age, from about 6 to 17, with an average age of about 10 to 12. Additionally, they are seeing an increase in siblings entering their care together. And they do not limit their care to Chautauqua County, working with all of the surrounding counties, including Cattaraugus County, Erie County, and Niagara County.

They noted that one big issue they are facing is an increase in demand for foster parents, but without an increase in homes available for these vulnerable youths. It is their goal to help get the word out about the need for more homes and that they offer classes to those considering becoming foster parents.

Touching on some of the stigmas and misconceptions surrounding foster care, Kathleen clarified that the criteria for those becoming foster parents is much more accomodating that people might believe. They do not discriminate based on your marital status, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or whether you rent your housing, as long as it is up to the standards needed to house the youths. But above all, she said that the biggest misconception is that you can’t grow attached to the youths in your care. In fact, she said that it is important that foster parents provide that sense of love and care towards the children they’re caring for, as that is when they need it the most.

The application process to become a foster parent is indeed a daunting task, but they will be able to help you along the way. The first stage is filling out and submitting the necessary paperwork, which is followed by a 10 week class to help prospective foster parents build the skillset they’ll need. After they complete the class, they will familiarize themselves with the prospective parents and conduct the required checks to ensure the safety of the foster youths. They can also reach out to Kathleen, who is the resource coordinator and can assist them in that process.

Becoming a foster parent can be a very intimidating and difficult concept, but doing so fills a vital need in the community. Whether you are interested or know someone who might be interested, it can never hurt to look into the process and consider whether you would want to become a foster parent.

For those interested in learning more, the GA Family Services office number is (716) 708-6161. You can also visit their website, GAFamilyServices.org or visit their Facebook page, GA Family Services Foster Care.