Foster Homes Needed in Pickens County

There is a real need for new foster homes in the Pickens County area.

Stephanie Knight with the South Carolina Youth Advocate Program recently spoke before Easley City Council.

“I just want to talk about the state of Pickens County,” Knight said. “We have over 120 kids in foster care and less than 35 foster homes.

The lack of foster homes in the area leads to kids being placed in shelters or having to leave the county altogether, she said.

“We're really trying to get the word out that we really need more foster homes,” Knight said. “You all see the effects of children who grew up in foster care, with crime, teen pregnancies, poverty. Oftentimes, these children have children who end up back in foster care and the cycle continues. We're trying to find foster homes who will take these children and make a positive difference in their lives and send them back to their birth families.”

The SC YAP is contracted through the Department of Social Services to license new foster families. Their mission is to increase the number of resource foster families in the Upstate and support children and youth in need of temporary out of home placement.

Knight said DSS is trying to find foster families who will work with birth families.

“So that those kids have support in their local communities and their schools ... to be able to go back to their birth families and to hopefully be productive citizens of our society,” Knight said.

She asked that city officials direct anyone interested in becoming foster parents to the SC Youth Advocate Program.

“We'd be more than happy to talk to them face-to-face,” Knight said, adding she'd love to speak to area groups about the need for more foster families. “We just have a lot of children that really need a place to go when it comes to foster care.”

If you are interested in learning more about Resource Family Program contact SCYAP 864-312-6700 or 1-888-413-2588.