ATLANTA — A growing number of foster children in Georgia are being placed outside of their home communities as the state struggles to recruit and retain foster parents.
Data from the Georgia Department of Human Services shows that in Fulton County alone, 70% of children in foster care are placed outside of their home county. In DeKalb County, that number rises to 74%.
Allison Ashe, CEO of Wellroot Family Services, says keeping children close to their communities is the ideal situation.
“It’s ideal when a child goes into foster care that they stay in their own communities so their schools are not disrupted, their friendships are not disrupted, and that they are able to move forward with life as normally as possible,” Ashe said.
The Georgia Department of Human Services says its goal is to place children as close to their birth families as possible, but officials say declining foster parent recruitment is making that more difficult.
Ashe says the shortage of foster homes could also lead to more children being placed in group homes.
“We’re very concerned at Wellroot that if the number of foster care homes continues to decrease, more kids will end up in group placement settings and group homes,” Ashe said.
“And while we have some really wonderful group homes in the state of Georgia, that is not the ideal placement for a child,” she added.
A spokesperson for the Department of Human Services says the agency is continuing efforts to recruit and retain foster parents across the state.
WSB Radio’s Jonathan O’Brien contributed to this story.
