DFACS, Family Connection Continue Foster Family Recruitment Efforts

Family Connection of Stephens County and the county’s Division of Family and Children Services enter 2016 with the goal of building on momentum gained last year in adding to the number of available foster families in the county.

According to Family Connection of Stephens County Coordinator Allyson Warren, the county’s DFACS began 2015 with only 10 foster homes, many of which were at capacity and unable to accept more children.

Last year, DFACS and Family Connection partnered to visit several local churches to hold foster care information sessions.

However, Warren said slowing progress was the departure of the county’s Resource Development Manager.

That position is the local employee responsible for recruiting and training foster families.

However in November, Noel Pauley accepted the position responsible for recruiting, training, and supporting foster families in Stephens and Banks counties.

She had previously worked as a Foster Care Case Manager for Stephens and Banks counties and also spent five years working at the Georgia Baptist Children’s Home.

Warren said they are excited to have Pauley on board for several reasons.

“Number one, she is a local gal,” said Warren. “She was raised here. Also, she is extremely motivated. Within a month of her taking that position, she had already set up two meetings with local churches to recruit more families.”

Warren went on to say that with Pauley’s help and the support from the community, 2015 turned out to be a successful year for recruiting foster families.

“We have been very, very fortunate that we have been able to get three additional families approved in Noel’s absence because we had some folks step in from the region because they knew we had interest,” said Warren. “Now that Noel has taken over, not only has she gotten three additional families in the pipeline, ready to be approved, but she has already made connections with a couple of other churches.”

Warren explained that it is very important to try to keep children who end up in DFACS care in their home county.

She said moving a child out of county makes a difficult situation even harder.

“If we have a student that has been taken in who is also part of our school system and they move out of county, they not only have a new home environment, but they also have to get used to a new school environment,” said Warren.

Also, sometimes siblings have to be split up and if they end up in different counties, that makes it difficult, Warren said.

Also, a shortage of foster homes in one county adds more strain to other counties.

Officials said the need for foster families is still great.

Another foster care orientation and information session is coming up on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Stephens County DFACS office.

For more information on foster care or setting up an information session in either Stephens or Banks County, call Pauley at 706-973-0943.