23 YMCAs Partner With DCF To Recruit Foster Families For Children

WALTHAM, MA — The are hundreds of children across the state in need of a temporary home, or foster care, because their parents aren’t able to care for them. The Department of Children and Families (DCF) first tries to place children with relatives. When that’s not possible, they enter the state foster care system, which is becoming overloaded. And there’s a need for foster parents across Massachusetts to take in children both long-term and short term.

In an effort to recruit foster families DCF teamed up with the Alliance of Massachusetts YMCAs. Two dozen YMCAs will be hosting Foster Family Recruitment week at the Y, including the Waltham Y October 21-25.

“The Department of Children and Families strives to find foster homes for children in their communities to help maintain connections to family, school and friends during a trying time," DCF Commissioner Linda Spears said in a statment. "Our goal is to have a deep bench of foster homes in every city and town in the Commonwealth and we are grateful to the 23 participating YMCAs for helping us continue to broaden our recruitment activities statewide."

YMCAs will host events throughout the week to inform their members and community about the benefits of becoming a foster parent. At the Waltham Y, they will be handing out materials so folks interested - single, retired, gay or straight, owning a home or renting - can consider becoming a foster parent.

The Ys across Massachusetts have been partnering DCF and the Wonderfund for the past three years, first offer a limited amount of free camp slots to children in foster care and now they offer a free membership to any child in foster care, but this is the first year they've partnered for this innitiative.

DCF made headlines in 2014 after a series of high profile failures like the Baby Doe case. When Gov. Charlie Baker took office, his administration announced a series of reforms that ultimately increased the department’s funding by $180 million over four years and added 600 new staff in an effort to ease issues with staffing. Then in May the Baker administration announced even more reforms.

But the state's foster care system is still overloaded, according to multiple reports.

The number of children in foster care has risen by 20 percent throughout the past five years, according to officials. The state added more than 300 foster homes between 2017 and 2019, but child welfare representatives say they need more.

Throughout the past year there have been persistent, heartbreaking reports that there are not enough foster families to fill the needs of children in the foster system. WCVB reported social workers had to drive children around for hours waiting for an emergency placement or set up makeshift beds at DCF, as the Globe reported.

"The Y serves the whole family, from infant/toddler care, to swim lessons, to feeding programs, to basketball, and arthritis programs and we believe that a partnership with DCF is just a natural extension of this service," Peter Doliber, CEO of the Alliance of Massachusetts YMCAs, said in a release.

To learn more about fostering a child in need of a temporary home: Learn to be a Foster Parent | mass.gov‎

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).