It has been said that positive parental influence plays the biggest role in a child’s development. As the number of adolescents in Indiana’s child welfare system continues to rise, an increasing number of children are not afforded this luxury.
Sharon Pierce, president and CEO of The Villages of Indiana, the state’s largest not-for-profit child and family services agency, says Indiana is in desperate need of additional foster and adoptive families to step forward and offer children a safe place to thrive. Reasons include an increase of substance abuse and mental health issues of parents. One quarter of the children currently in need live in Marion County.
“Just two years ago, there were about 13,600 children in the child welfare system. Today, there are around 22,000 children. I have been doing this work for well over 30 years, and I have never seen such challenges for those of us who serve abused and neglected children,” said Pierce. “One of the things that is concerning is over 50 percent of the children who are coming are under the age of 5. They require a huge amount of care.”
The Villages of Indiana wants to recruit and train a diverse group of foster parents to better match children with families they have commonalities with.
“We try to match them with families who are ethnically, geographically and spiritually like the child. They have had the trauma of being separated from family, so as we stand in the gap, we want them to feel unconditional love,” said Pierce.
Unconditional love is what Charles Brown aims to show every child he fosters. Brown has a background in youth ministry and a passion for mentoring young people. In his early 20s, he mentored two boys who were in need of a foster father. This prompted Brown to obtain a foster care license. Today, Brown has been a foster parent for more than 20 years. Brown says he has seen the impact a compassionate role model can have on a child.
“You have to hope for the best, prepare for the worst and know how much you can take as a person. Some of these kids come to us who have been molested, and it’s quite normal that they will have highly sexualized behaviors. If they have seen violence, they are more likely to interact violently,” said Brown.
Brown says it’s extremely rewarding to see a young person’s growth over time. One of the children Brown fostered started out causing trouble in school and ended up on the honor roll.
“The very first day with him, the school called me saying they were having significant problems. There were three police cars at the school because he was being threatening. Today, that same young man is an honor roll student. After a lot of consistency with discipline, and a lot of consistency with love and acceptance, it’s very rewarding to see the change,” said Brown.
Some organizations let potential foster parents go through training before making a commitment. CoraLyn Turentine is a foster parent through one such organization known as KidsPeace, a private charity that serves children with behavioral and mental health issues.
When Turentine was an undergraduate, she eagerly contacted a variety of foster care organizations to learn more but never heard anything back. After graduating and getting married, one of the organizations reached out to her and asked if fostering a child was something she was still interested in.
“We went in saying, ‘Let’s just learn more about it.’ We came out of the training going, ‘Wow! We really want to do this,’” said Turentine.
Today, she has fostered 10 kids, two of whom she eventually adopted. To Turentine, the rewards far outweigh any challenges presented.
“They have already been through so much that when they come to your home they are a mess. It’s so cool to be a part of somebody getting better. Even if it’s just the small little baby steps, such as they are finally sleeping well at night or they are finally able to trust again. Or when they are finally opening up themselves again. It’s really cool to be a part of somebody’s story in a positive way,” said Turentine.
The requirements for being a foster parent include being over 21 years of age, having a home with space for a child and a heart for children. The Villages of Indiana is hosting information sessions for potential foster parents to learn more about the ways they can support Indiana’s youth.
“If somebody’s touching your heart to consider being a foster parent, be it the good Lord or someone else, know that the need has never been greater,” Pierce said. “We would love to have you come to an information night to learn more. Even if the timing isn’t right, maybe you can support another foster parent. Look at the needs and figure out what role you are able to play.”
The next Indianapolis information session is Jan. 23 at 6:30 p.m. at The Villages of Indiana’s office, 3833 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN 46204. For more information, visit villages.org.
Information sessions with The Villages of Indiana
Monday, Jan. 23 at 6:30 p.m.
The Villages Office
3833 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN
Monday, Feb. 13 at 6 p.m.
The Villages Office
3833 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN
Full calendar available at villages.org/calendar
For more information, visit villageskids.org or call (317) 775-6500.
