Wanted! Missouri Has This Many Children Waiting to be Placed
So many things were put on hold during the pandemic. But when it comes to the need for foster care that never went away. The system has been overwhelmed.
That’s why Saint Luke’s Crittenton’s Children’s Center is reaching out on behalf of children in need of a temporary home.
During the pandemic, many children who ended up in foster care ended up staying in residential facilities or group homes. There was already a shortage of foster homes and COVID-19 only made it worse.
“A lot of foster parents are scared right now because of COVID, and the homes that we do have are they’re overloaded. They already have more than, more than the kids that they can handle, and there’s just not enough places for kids to go to,” said Jeannette Koster, foster care director at Saint Luke’s Crittenton Children’s Center.
The center provides foster and adoption services for Jackson and Cass counties. Missouri has more than 15,000 children in need of care, and 1,500 are waiting to be placed in a foster home. Experts believe the need will only grow as children head back to school…
15,000!
