All children deserve to grow up in a loving and stable home. Unfortunately, many children in Arkansas are lacking that stability.

Currently, there are more than 4,600 children in foster care in Arkansas. There arefewer than 1,700 foster families statewide.

May is National Foster Care Month. Children in foster care do better in homes with families, not facilities. DHS needs caring, patient, and flexible foster families who can provide temporary care to children while we work to get them safely back home to their original families as quickly as possible.

Foster care is home-like care provided by licensed foster parents and providers for children who cannot live with their parents because they are either unsafe, have special care or treatment needs that their parents are unable to manage, or other circumstances resulting in their parents or family being unable to care for them.

Placement in foster care is usually temporary and gives families time to make necessary changes so the child can safely live in his or her home and community. Most children in foster care return home to their families, which is called reunification. When children cannot return home, they find permanence through adoption, guardianship, or other means.

You don’t need a lot of money to become a foster parent. However, you must have sufficient resources to meet the financial, medical, physical, educational, emotional, and shelter needs of the child without relying solely on state or federal financial assistance to meet those needs.

Foster home applicants must be at least 21 years of age. Two-parent homes may apply and must demonstrate a stable relationship. A single person also may apply.

Foster parents do not do it alone. They have multiple staff from the Division of Children and Family services to help support the family.

If you think you could provide a loving home to a foster child, visit humanservices.arkansas.govto apply.