SARASOTA, Fla. — Foster care advocates say the shortage of homes available to take in kids is putting programs in crisis. They desperately need new foster care parents as the state faces a fentanyl epidemic as highlighted in a 10 Investigates Special "Overdosed."
There are 22,000 kids in foster care across the state of Florida, so hundreds of homes are needed to keep siblings from getting separated or putting children in group homes. The regional manager for the National Youth Advocate Program says substance abuse is the number one reason why kids are being removed from homes.
“There's a lot of stigma surrounding foster care. there's a lot of misunderstanding about what you need to be a foster parent and it's not a lot. And to recognize the support you get as a foster parent and the services you get, the training that you're offered,” Sonya Hernandez said.
NYAP is hosting a drop-in event on May 23 at their Lakewood Ranch office where you can meet with their team and ask questions about fostering. It's from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s located at 6993 Professional Pkwy East in Sarasota. You can also call (941) 780-2169. They're also debunking myths on their Facebook page.
In our "Forever Family" segment on Brightside, we introduce you to children awaiting adoption and to families whose lives have been changed for the better by welcoming children into their homes. You can watch our segment weekly on 10 Tampa Bay Brightside. Find more information on "Forever Family" by visiting 10TampaBay.com/ForeverFamily.
