PERKINSTON — Monica Robinson begins her day at 5:30 a.m., driving a school bus before starting her full-time job as a social worker for a Mississippi school district. 

After work, she heads home to another gig: caring for her three foster children as well as her biological son. 

“Then is when mommy job starts. If it’s school day, we homework, snack, dinner, shower,” she said. “You do have to invest in the children to grow them to be successful … we have to teach them boundaries and coping skills so we can break their chains and help them be productive.” 

Robinson and her husband became licensed foster parents in January, motivated by the need she saw during her past work with the Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services. 

There are more than 4,000 children currently in state custody; in January 2023, there were roughly 3,650. The agency said this expansion has come without a corresponding increase in foster homes but could not provide supporting data due to an ongoing migration to a new data management system that is expected to be completed this fall.

The Roy Howard Community Journalism Center has submitted a public records request to learn more about trends in the number of Mississippi’s foster homes. 

Robinson said fostering has come with its fair share of challenges, but it’s been rewarding. 

“We are doing this from our heart, and we want to help a child who needs that extra support,” she said. 

She credits much of her knowledge to the support she’s received from her CPS case worker and other foster families she meets online and at church-based training sessions. 

“When we have a situation, we kind of run it by them, ‘What would you do, or how would you handle this?’” she said. 

Robinson said that as a foster parent, she’s required to receive 10 hours of training every year to remain licensed — training that she’s received from a statewide foster care community. One of her recent trainings was given by Kim Jordan, a teacher who has fostered 36 children. 

Support rooted in community 

In 2017, Jordan began a typical day greeting Jackson County elementary school students as they arrived on campus — until a student arrived at school without shoes. Later that day, she heard a local radio program discussing the county’s need for foster families. 

She and her husband resolved to make a difference and became licensed foster parents. Months later, after a random placement, that student became her first foster child — and eventually, her adopted daughter. 

Recognizing the need for more foster families and better access to training, Jordan began organizing local training sessions. What started as meetings in coffee shops grew rapidly.  

Today, Jordan hosts online classes for foster families throughout the state. Last year alone, she led nearly 100 sessions totaling 1,500 training hours for new and prospective foster parents. 

Jordan said her trainings aim to meet a growing need. According to the most recent data from the federal Administration for Children and Families, the numbers of Mississippi children entering foster care, in foster care and exiting foster care experienced overall declines from fiscal years 2019 through 2023. 

Jordan said the pandemic disrupted not only licensing for foster parents but also the sense of community among foster families, leading many to drop out of the system. 

“It was a snowball effect. Having foster kids during COVID with no resources … it soured a lot of people,” she said. “We’re still losing people from that.”

According to that same data, while the number of Mississippi children entering foster care and in foster care in 2020 and 2021 were lower than pre-pandemic levels, there has been a resurgence in those numbers from 2020 to 2023. 

Policy changes expand support 

But Jordan said she has seen improvements. One key shift: effective July 1, CPS now allows partner organizations to manage the licensing of foster families — a move that’s expanded capacity and personalized support. Six organizations are now helping license foster homes in Mississippi. 

“CPS is a massive organization, and they are great, but they can only do so much,” Jordan said. “With other organizations coming alongside them, that’s huge.” 

CPS has made additional policy changes effective on that same date: 

— All foster care training hours can now be completed online— Fingerprinting for kids in the home who are between the ages of 14 and 17 is no longer required. 

— Foster homes can now care for up to six children total — including biological, adoptive and foster children — which is up from the previous limit of five children. However, only one child with therapeutic needs may be placed in the home at a time. 

— Household composition guidelines have been adjusted. Foster parents are no longer required to meet a specific legal marital status — they can be married, divorced or single. Previous applicants were required to be married or single. 

The agency has also introduced a review process to be completed before a home is denied licensure or closed. 

“This allows (state CPS) staff to meet with families and help address any challenges that might be preventing a home from becoming licensed. If a family is missing a requirement — like a fire extinguisher — we can step in and help provide it,” said Daniel Gallarno, deputy commissioner of external affairs for the agency. 

Looking forward 

CPS Commissioner Andrea Sanders said in addition to licensure changes, the agency will launch a foster parent advisory council later this year, which will receive feedback from Mississippi foster families. 

She said CPS plans to launch a statewide foster family recruitment campaign with local communities, faith-based organizations and agency partners. 

Sanders said a continued challenge for the state is a lack of resources for high-need children, which lag behind similar states in the region. 

“However, we are catching up. In the meantime, many high-need children who come into CPS custody require unique services that are only offered in other states, such as intensive long-term trauma treatment, substance abuse treatment, appropriate care for children with special needs,” Sanders said. 

Once her current foster children return to their parents, Robinson said she hopes to stay connected with those children and their families. 

“I’m not in (the biological mother’s) shoes, I’m not where she’s been, but I can still offer that advice,” she said. “I could be a mentor.” 

She encourages others to consider fostering, despite the challenges. 

“When you see the child go from coming to your home — they’re scared and they don’t know what to do, they don’t know you … and then you see them starting to open up … and they come to you and they look forward to those hugs and those affirmations,” Robinson said. “It’s just positive reward from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed, just seeing them grow.”