Foster family shortage here forces kids to face removal to other counties

Dana Byrd

The majority are "reunified" and returned to their families, but there are others placed in foster care whose only hope for a permanent home is through the adoption process.

There are plenty of children in the system, but few foster or adoptive families.

In Carroll County, currently there are four foster families and 21 children in foster care. Sixteen of those children are farmed out to foster families in neighboring counties.

Some of those children never return to their families. As many as five are adopted in a single year.

Those still waiting for someone to love them are featured on a Website that posts their photos and stories. It is similar to sites showcasing puppies and kittens awaiting a home.

Locally, the woman overseeing these matters is Dana Byrd, a supervisor for the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Children and Family Services.

Byrd said she was a case worker for the department before accepting the position of supervisor.

A case worker, she explained, investigates allegations phoned into the child abuse hotline, and provides protective services if those allegations are true. Supportive services are also provided to those seeking help with issues that are not necessarily tied to abuse or neglect.

Byrd said they are a referring agency that develops a case plan with the family and supporting agencies to correct problems.

She said their goal is to keep children in their home -- or to have them reunified as soon as possible.

"Occasionally, we are not able to leave children with their families because of a health or safety danger," she said.

In those situations, the agency retains the child on a 72-hour hold, and puts their case before a juvenile court judge to determine if there is probable cause.

"The judge has the option of returning the child to the home, with or without monitoring," she said, "or keeping them in care for 30 days, until an adjudication hearing."

At that hearing, the judge decides whether neglect or abuse exists, she said, or if it has been resolved in the past 30 days.

If continued foster care is ordered, Byrd said the agency continues its reunification effort because "that's our goal."

She said having only four foster families in the county makes the situation more difficult.

"With 21 children in foster care, and only five of those placed in Carroll County and the rest shipped off because we don't have enough placements, it makes it difficult. We really want to keep them local because of our reunification efforts."

She said they host "inquiry" meetings for those thinking about becoming foster parents at 6 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month at the DHS office on Hailey Road in Berryville.

"Some pursue it, fill out the application packet and go on to attend classes in Fayetteville," she said.

"If we could get five signed up at the same time, they would host the classes here instead," she said.

After completing the paperwork, background check, classes and home visit, the applicant is then licensed and put on the list, said Byrd.

Foster parents do receive a stipend, she said, based on the child's age, and all foster children are eligible for Medicade.

"We do need to know the family can support them without the stipend," Byrd noted, saying the requirement "weeds out" some who may be in it just for the money.

Keeping siblings together is another goal the agency works towards.

"Sometimes, we can't place them all in the same home," she said. "Sometimes they are separated. I hate to do that. Then we do sibling visits. It's really a perk to have all placed in the same home."

Her most difficult case in that regard was a family of five children. While admitting it was a challenge, she said it was nothing compared to a co-worker's situation in a neighboring county who was faced with a group of 12 siblings.

"I shuddered to think what we would do," she commented. "No one would take 12 kids!"

She said most families want to work hard at getting their children back and initiate the changes necessary to make that happen.

But, she said, there are those cases where adoption is the only option.

Not wanting to keep children in foster care for extended periods of time, Byrd said parents have one year to get their issues resolved.

At the 11-month milestone marker, a permanency planning hearing is scheduled to make a determination, "so children are not left in foster care forever," she said. "We ask then for the goal of termination of parental rights. Another hearing is set and the judge makes that determination. It is not taken lightly."

She said Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteers are involved in the process to make sure the voices of the children are heard.

An adoption worker, she said, who is usually involved since the six-month marker, has been thinking about placement. If a foster parent has noted an interest in adopting, that option is pursued -- and pursued often, she said.

"Most of our children have been adopted by their foster parents," said Byrd, noting it's bittersweet for the caseworkers because the agency loses another foster family in the process.

However, if the foster family declines the opportunity, Byrd said the caseworker starts looking for another family so visitations can begin.

She said two-to-five children are adopted in Carroll County annually. Infants are rarely part of the mix because not many come into their care and those that do are reunited.

"I believe its the best thing to be raised by parents," said Byrd. "That's the mission of this office, and I have a very dedicated staff that feels as deeply about reunification as I do.

"There are those rewarding moments, and that's the reason I stay," she said. "I love our success stories and I love our foster parents.

"I want to recognize our Carroll County foster parents and what a wonderful job they do. You can call them in the middle of the night and they always say yes.

"And, I want to thank the businesses that donate gift certificates that we give away to foster parents at our four county events, such as the one we had recently in Fayetteville for recognition, training and lunch."

Byrd also extended a "thanks" to the community and CASA for donations received at Christmas, "for our Carroll County children in foster care and letting them know they haven't been forgotten."

For more information about foster care or adoption programs, contact Byrd at (870) 423-3351, or the Web sites: www.fosterarkansas.org/; or www.state.ar.us/ dhs/adoption/adoption.html to reach the Arkansas Adoption Resource Exchange where the photos and stories of adoptable children are posted.