Short and long term foster families needed in South Lake Tahoe

The El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency is looking for individuals in the South Lake Tahoe area who could open their hearts and homes to a child in need of care. Local individuals and families are needed to serve as Resource Families, providing shelter care (up to thirty days) or full term homes (up to and over eighteen months) for foster children.

Resource Family is the new State of California term for foster parents, relative caregivers, non-related extended family members, and adoptive families who care for children and youth in out-of-home placement. Reimbursement is provided for this important service.

A foster child is a child who has been removed from their current home because of abuse, neglect, exploitation or other problems. While the child is in foster care, efforts are made to assist the child and their parents to address the problems and, whenever possible, ultimately reunite them.

"Currently, there is a great shortage of licensed foster parent resource families in the Tahoe area,” said Pam Carter, program manager with the El Dorado County Foster Care Program. "The severe shortage of foster homes in the Tahoe area means foster children may often be placed in other communities located many miles away. Having to leave their home, parents, friends and schools and be transplanted to other communities can be traumatic and frightening.”

Individuals interested in learning more about becoming a Foster Parent Resource Family are invited to attend an information session on April 20, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. at Lake Tahoe Community College, 1 College Way, Room 106, South Lake Tahoe. For details about the event or foster parenting, please contact Roger Hardin at (530) 573-3205.