GEORGE COUNTY — Residents interested in becoming foster parents will have an opportunity to learn about the licensing process during a July 31 foster parent information forum as local officials work to recruit more families and keep children in their home communities.
The Lucedale-George County Public Library is partnering with the Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services to host the Foster Parent Forum from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 31 at the library. The free event is open to the public, and no registration is required.
Representatives from the CPS will explain the foster care licensing process, answer questions about becoming a foster parent, discuss support available to foster families and share ways residents can help meet the need for foster homes in George County.
Katie Osborne, branch manager of the Lucedale-George County Public Library, said the event is intended to introduce more local families to the need for foster parents.
“We’re hosting this informational meeting because we are hoping to reach families in George County who are interested in becoming foster parents, as it’s preferred to place children within their home community,” Osborne said.
According to the Fostering Court Improvement website, 42 George County children entered foster care between October 2023 and September 2024. As of Sept. 30, 2024, 71 George County children were in foster care.
A representative with CPS said placing children with foster families in or near their home communities helps reduce disruptions by allowing them to remain in school, attend court hearings more easily and maintain relationships with siblings and other family members.
When local foster homes are unavailable, children may have to be placed outside their home communities or temporarily housed in other settings while caseworkers continue searching for a licensed foster family, the representative said.
Each county is assigned an annual recruitment goal for licensed foster homes.
“Our statewide goal this year is 320 foster homes, and George County has completed two of its four-home goal,” the representative said. “We anticipate filling those remaining two homes. Area 7, which includes George, Harrison, Stone, Hancock and Pearl River counties, currently has about 750 children in custody and 589 foster placements across those counties.”
The representative said recruiting more foster families locally helps provide children with stable placements while reducing the need to place them farther from their schools, relatives and support systems.
The Foster Parent Forum will be held at the Lucedale-George County Public Library, 507 Oak St., in Lucedale. For more information, call the library at (601) 947-2123.
