Lee and Whiteside County need more foster parents, according to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
DCFS says only two foster parents are registered in the counties, while 17 children were in Whiteside County Care and eight in Lee County care as of January 31.
Recruitment specialist William Hart made the case for additional foster parents at a Whiteside County board meeting, Saukvalley.com reports. Hart said more foster parents means children will have a better chance of being reunited with families, stay in the same school, and keep close to their friends.
Prospective foster parents must be at least 21 years old and able to provide a stable household. The process starts with an application packet, three non-relative character references, up-to-date medical exams, and fingerprinting and background checks for everyone 13 or older in the home. The entire process, including these initial steps, could take six months.
You can find more information on how to become a foster parent at the DCFS website.