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Barium Springs Home for Children educates about foster care
Bruce Matlock photo
Marc Murphy (left), director of foster care at Barium Springs Home for Children, answers a question during a foster care workshop Monday at Little Joe’s Chapel.
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Published: September 1, 2009
This Barium Springs Home for Children has received more requests to place children in foster care than it could accommodate this summer.
In the last month, Barium Springs has had 20 referrals but the nonprofit has only had homes to place two children, according to Turkessia Evans, foster care recruiter and licensing specialist.
"The need is there, but we don't have the homes to meet those needs," Evans said.
An open house was at Little Joe's Chapel in Troutman on Monday to answer questions posed by potential foster parents. The open house is a precursor to training scheduled from Sept.14 to Oct. 26 on Monday and Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m.
Christina and Charles Anderson attended the open house because they are interested in becoming foster parents. They have been discussing the possibility for six months and decided to take the next step by attending the open house.
"I want to help someone who is already here and give them a home," Christina said.
"We don't have any kids and we don't think we'll be able to have any," Charles said.
During the open house, families asked questions and head presentations from Marc Murphy, director of foster care and Evans.
During the two-hour drop-in session, families were educated on training requirements, licensing process, children's different behaviors and Barium Springs.
Evans said they have had a significant number of referrals for sibling groups this summer, with the largest group having nine siblings needing to be placed.
"We've had to turn down those referrals because we don't have the homes for those children to go in," she said. "So the need is there."
Barium Springs currently has foster homes in Iredell, Rowan, Cabarrus, Lincoln and Mecklenburg counties.
During the open house, Murphy spoke with families about the three different foster homes available — traditional, therapeutic and respite foster care.
"We are not keeping up with the demand," he said. "We're getting more calls for kids to be placed than we have places for them to stay."
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