Wanted: More foster parents

MARION – You don't have to tell Jacqueline Ringer there's a drug epidemic in Marion County; the numbers show it.

Ringer is the executive director of Marion County Children Services. It's her job to investigate reports of neglected or abused children and to find safe temporary or permanent homes for kids living with wayward adults.

"Substance abuse by adults is the most common difficulty faced by families, and that may lead to risks to children's safety and welfare," Ringer said.

Ringer's agency conducted 640 home "assessment of safety" investigations in 2014. The majority of children taken into custody are removed because of neglect or physical abuse, she said, and substance abuse in the home is often an underlying factor.

"If we determine a child is at risk, and the risk is immediate, that child comes into custody immediately. We understand the removal of a child is traumatic. But their safety is our top priority."

Placing children in care

Not every family crisis results in children being taken into custody, of course. Last year, 99 children were placed with family or friends, which the agency feels creates less stress on the kids.

Marion County Children Services also provided home-based support services for 94 families through assigned caseworkers who work with adults to provide a safe and supportive home environment where proper nutrition, stability and care is provided within the home.

But Ringer said her agency has seen a 22 percent increase in placing kids in foster care in 2014 over the previous year and a 54 percent increase in placing children in imminent risk in "kinship" care provided by grandparents or other family members. Rising substance abuse is driving the increase, she said.

"Addiction creates hardships on kids. It also creates barriers for social services providers like us to help solve family problems. As a result, children are staying in our care longer."

For Jody Demo-Hodgins, the rising need for foster care is no surprise; it parallels the demand for addiction treatment in the county.

"The primary age of those coming into treatment is 20 to 35 years old, and many of these people are parents," said Demo-Hodgins, director of the Crawford-Marion Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services.

"This just underscores the fact that addiction is a family disease, meaning other significant family members like aunts or uncles or grandparents, the folks who otherwise might step in to care for a child, may also be involved in substance abuse," Demo-Hodgins said.

She points out that the typical 24-year-old coming into treatment may have started abusing at 15, so decision-making skills and life skills may not be as fully developed, which can lead to problems in parenting in general.

Trend rising

"Neglect is accumulative in children. It creates trauma when basic needs aren't met. Not having food, not having structure or regular supervision, can lead to missed school. And all of this just increases the likelihood that these children will abuse," Demo-Hodgins said.

Ringer said the ultimate goal of any intervention is to eventually reunite families. The average intervention is about 70 days for children ensnared in a crisis situation caused by neglect or poverty. But for children removed from a home where one or more adults have a substance abuse problem, the average jumps to 300 days in the care of the county.

And the trend is going up. Eighty-nine children were placed in foster care in 2014. This year, 87 children have been taken into custody through Aug. 1.

"We really need more families willing to consider becoming foster parents, or adoption," Ringer said.

Of the 89 children placed in foster care last year, 52 were eventually reunited with their families, had their legal custody granted to a family member, or aged out of the system. Four children were adopted by other families.

Foster-to-adopt

"Fortunately, we've had 90 percent of our adoptions come from our foster families, which is great for our kids. But the unintended consequence is we are short of foster homes," Ringer said.

Ringer said 14 children are placed outside of Marion County for foster care or for residential treatment. Placing kids further from family, friends and their schools only adds to trauma of removing a child from home and makes supervised visitation a much harder for families working on reuniting.

Ringer acknowledges that bringing children into a home for foster care is big step, but hopes more families or couples will consider it. There are 37 licensed foster caregivers in Marion County. Individuals or couples can be licensed, including gay and lesbian residents. Ohio will reimburse $360 for those completing the 12 preservice classes who obtain their licenses.

The per-deim daily rate to host a foster child varies from county to county, but Marion foster moms and dads receive $21 to $36 a day per child, depending on the age of the child and other factors, such as special medical or mental health needs. Other than the license, all that's needed to host a child is a stable home environment and a desire to help a child in need.

Thirteen people signed up for the last two classes, scheduled twice a year in the fall and spring. Three people became licensed, and another three are still in the process of obtaining a license.

"The classes are thorough. And that's OK. This is a huge commitment to open your heart and your home to someone you don't know, someone who might have been neglected or abused," Ringer said.

"These kids need safe, family-like settings. Hopefully, families can be reunited. But permanence for the child is the important thing."

jsmiller@gannett.com

740-375-5148

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Classes planned

Marion County Children Services has scheduled a series of training classes for people who are considering becoming foster or adoptive parents beginning at 6 p.m. Nov. 6

There are 12 sessions that are three hours each. They will cover topics such as child development, helping the child manage emotions and behaviors, and minimizing the trauma of placement. The free classes, called preservice training, are mandated by the state.