ELLSWORTH (NEWS CENTER Maine) – Erica Conners said she and her husband never thought about becoming foster parents, until they realized how severe the need was just weeks ago.
"I don't know how it's going to affect my family,” Conners said.
The need for foster parents in Maine is growing as the number of licensed homes is dropping.
There were 1493 licensed family foster homes as of July 1, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. That number is down significantly since the same time last year.
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DATE |
# HOMES |
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July 1, 2014 1449 July 1, 2015 1621 July 1, 2016 1695 July 1, 2017 1691 July 1, 2018 1493 |
Some critics say families are leaving the system as the child protective system in Maine has fallen under intense scrutiny.
The investigation into the deaths of Marissa Kennedy and Kendall Chick, a lack of resources in the department and a stagnant reimbursement rate for foster families have left many families feeling unsupported.
"It will not be an easy task,” Conners said. “I don't think raising kids ever is an easy task."
Conners said the controversy is not stopping her and her husband, who already have two kids of their own, from diving into the system.
"I do get a lot of that reaction,” she said. “I just disregard it because I just don't think that's as important as the goal here."
Meanwhile the number of kids in protective custody has grown over the last decade. Over the last five years, the number has fluctuated.
There are currently more than 1,700 kids in DHHS custody.
Number of children in DHHS custody at a point in time as of July 1st over the past 5 years
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DATE |
# CHILDREN |
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July 1, 2014 1942 July 1, 2015 2015 July 1, 2016 1958 July 1, 2017 1766 July 1, 2018 1729 |
"There's always a need for foster parents,” Tyler Bryant, Director of Services at Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine, said.
Bryant said their organization that oversees foster homes statewide has seen a steady flow of children in need—largely due to the ever-growing opioid crisis.
While the organization admits the challenges facing the state’s system, Bryant said the kids have to be the first priority.
"I'm not really sure what the exact solution is,” he said. “It's all about balance. That's the big thing is trying to find the balance…There are just as many positives as there are negatives.”
A spokesperson for DHHS released the following statement:
“The Department recognizes the critical role foster families play in our state’s child welfare system. When a child is in need, foster families step up time and time again, offering safe homes to vulnerable children with nowhere else to turn. One of DHHS’s top priority is ensuring that these families feel supported.”
For the Conners family, that support has already been felt as they start the licensing process.
Erica Conners said regardless of the challenges, more families should be willing to open their homes to the hundreds of children in need in the state.
"We should be able to come together and help each other out. I mean just for the childrens' sake,” she said.
Lawmakers in Augusta passed a bill proposed by Governor LePage last week to increase reimbursement rates for foster families from $16.50 to $25.00 a day.