And right now at WCNC, investign
uncovers A shocking secret about kids
in the foster care system in Charlotte.
Some are being forced to sleep at the
Youth and Family Services offices because
there's no place else for them to go.
Some of them are even sleeping on the floor.
WCNC Charlotte's Michelle Bowden shows us
how organizations are seeking solutions
to try to get these children into homes.
We were shocked to learn this is
happening, and we expect that
most of you will be as well.
Bottom line, there are just not
enough foster families leaving,
kids spending the night in a conference
room in a government building,
and it's happening on a regular basis.
It breaks your heart because I'.
Just want to keep doing more Ron
and Beau Leonard were licensed foster
parents waiting to finalize the
adoption of their youngest daugs
when a social worker called them about
another young girl who needed h.
There was a child's staying at
the YFS office over a weekend,
and they put out a call to
foster families if they could
let this child visit their home
a couple times over the weekend.
Just a shower and and just havea
break from getting out of the office.
The couple welcomed the
teen into their home. It's
just the saddest story.
If she was a 13 year old girl,
just as sweet and mannerly
as she could be but just had
nowhere to go for that weekend,
she was eating out of a vending machine
and sleeping in the YFS office.
I mean, it was just nice to be
able to do something and help a.
But yeah, it's just a huge
need in our city for sure.
How dire is the situation as fas
having enough places for foster kids?
It's really dire. There are
not enough placements for kids.
Trish Hobson is the executive
director for the Relatives Emery
Housing in Mecklenburg County.
For kids and young adults ages 7 to 24,
They partner with DSS on a
regular basis. What we've
heard is they're literally
running out of places and kids e
sleeping on the floor at DSS. Y,
yes, we have had meetings
with DSS leadership.
They're very concerned because
there are kids staying.
Actually in their offices becaue
they don't have placement for h.
And I think there are kids
staying in hotels as well.
What they told us was that there
were kids really sleeping in the
conference room and that they
were having to partner with othr
organizations for things like showers
and meals and things like that,
you know, and these kids are
going to school during the day,
so they've got to do homework,
she says. The relatives helps whenever
possible, but their beds have been fuller
than ever before since Kovat. Wt
We've seen is that the kids endp
staying with us for a lot longer because.
Because it's much harder to find a family
for them to go to because there's just
less foster care families out t.
You know, the beginning of COVI,
a lot of people just didn't want to have,
you know, kids in their home that they
didn't know what they'd been exposed to.
And so a lot of foster parents
dropped off during that time.
And it's been a really big
challenge to build that back up.
What's happening right now isn't
necessarily unique to Charlotte.
It's in every city in our count.
There is a placement crisis.
Nicole Taylor is the executive
director for Congregation for K,
a nonprofit working to recruit d
support foster families. These s
are the responsibility of our community.
And oftentimes, we think there's somebody
else that's kind of handling th.
There is not anyone else.
We tried to get answers from the
county about why kids are sleeping at
Youth and Family Services build,
but a spokesperson would
only answer basic questions,
telling us they're about 500 kis
in foster care in Mecklenburg
County on any given day,
and about 600 licensed foster parents
when we press them asking specifically
about kids sleeping at their offices,
they told us quote.
DSS has nothing further to add d
appreciates your efforts to assist in
recruiting foster care placemen,
right? None of this is a great
situation for a child, right?
I mean, anytime you're being
removed from your home,
it was probably bad to begin with and
then to be sort of in flux like that.
It's really important that kids
feel safe as quickly as they ca.
I'm sure they're safe.
But I'm sure it also feels
a little just off balance.
If you're interested in learning
more about foster parenting,
there's a class later this mont.
We've got all the information yu
need on that and many more resources.
You can find it all on our webs,
wcnc.com. Back to you.