Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Clark County needs foster family volunteers

A Clark County Division of Children and Family Services supervisor told Rotarians Aug. 10 there are eight foster families in this county, "and we need more."

Stevie Price, DCFS supervisor, said "Our biggest need in Clark County is foster parents."

With only eight families authorized as foster parents, Price said she takes children to Montgomery County or wherever she can to get them placed.

"We can only pay the families between $400 and $475 per month, depending on the age of the child," she said. "So people do it to help the kids."

Price said the children in foster care in Arkansas range from birth to 21.

Price said visitation with parents and siblings is required.

"I have been here six years as a supervisor and I can tell you these children are victims of maltreatment," she said.

Price said those wanting to become foster parents must attend 27 hours of foster parenting classes. Then there are three more hours during the first year for a total of 30 credit hours.

"After that, our foster parents must complete 15 hours every year for continuing education," Price said. "We have two teachers from Gurdon as foster parents."

Price said foster parents are required to know CPR and first aid.

Children fall into the fostering category after the state does an investigation within 30 days of a report showing a child is at risk, according to Price.

She said the goal of the state is to reunite the children and the birth parents except where sexual abuse has occurred.

"From the time we take a child into our care and place them in a home, we have 12 months to return them to the birth parents," Price said. "If the reunion cannot work, the foster parents have the first option to adopt because the child has been in their home for a year."

Price said 60 percent of the time her agency is able to get children back with their birth parents within six months.

But there are those who lose their children. Price said meth users who will not cooperate and get help may have the rights to their kids terminated.

"The courts usually rule in our favor when it comes to non-cooperative meth users," she said. "Years ago, we used to get babies who were alcohol fetal babies. Now we get them born on drugs, such as crack cocaine."

Price said the average foster placement ranges from 11 months to three years.

"We do work to stabilize placements," she said. "If you are a couple, you do have to be legally married for two years. We have to have legally wed couples, as we can not put a child with two women or two men."

A single person, whether heterosexual or homosexual, can be a foster parent. Foster parents must be in good health and under the age of 65.

For more information, call 246-9886.