LEWISTON, Maine — Maine's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and A Family for ME will host a foster care panel discussion on March 4. The panel, facilitated by DHHS Office of Child and Family Services Director Todd Landry, will include foster parents, youth in care and DHHS staff.
The panel’s discussion is intended to help inform potential foster parents about the experience of fostering a youth in care and will include topics such as changes DHHS has made to help families that are becoming licensed, support available to parents once they become licensed, and what foster care is like from both the foster parent and youth’s perspectives.
“The Department is committed to supporting all resource families,” Landry said. “Foster parents are, in many ways, the glue that holds together the child welfare system by partnering with our staff to care for the day-to-day physical, mental, and emotional needs of Maine children. We extend our gratitude to Maine's foster families and welcome new families to join us."
According to DHHS, as of December 1st, 2019 there were 2,222 children in its custody, with the number of licensed foster homes far fewer than the number needed.
The panel will take place at 51 Westminster St. in Lewiston, which is part of the University of Southern Maine's Lewiston/Auburn campus. It is expected to go from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and will be followed immediately by a chance to mingle and ask foster parents and providers questions about foster care.
