More children are entering Mecklenburg County’s foster care system, and the county says it needs more foster families to care for them.
The county has 458 children in the foster care system, and Amy McMahan with the county's Department of Social Services said the number has been inching up ever since schools reopened and children's home lives became more visible.
McMahan said her agency took in fewer children during the pandemic. The county says from May 2020 to May 2021, the number of children in foster care dropped from 565 to 447.
That trend also extended statewide. Across North Carolina, the number of children entering foster care declined 8% from 2019 to 2020, which are the most recent years for which data is available from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In total, 5,119 children entered the foster care system in North Carolina in 2020, which was the lowest that number had been since 2012.
McMahan said some foster parents and those considering becoming foster parents became more hesitant to take in children during the pandemic as health officials urged people to stay home and avoid contact with others.
There are about 100 licensed foster families in Mecklenburg County, McMahan said, and the county also contracts with private agencies that match children with foster homes and households.
County staff is encouraging more people to consider becoming foster parents, especially minority families that can match with minority children, McMahan said.
"So Latino families, Spanish-speaking families, African American families — we're looking for them to participate in foster parenting or adoption because that's better reflective of the children that we have in care," McMahan said.
According to the county, 60% of children in the county's foster care system are African American, 23% are multi-racial, 15% are Hispanic and 11% are white.
There are also 14 children in the county's foster system care who are American Indian, five who are Asian and two who are unknown.
Families and others who are interested in becoming foster parents can visit the county's adoption and foster care website. The county will also host an orientation and matching event for interested parents on Tuesday, May 24 at the Valerie C Woodard center at 3205 Freedom Drive.
