Adams County Human Services Foster Care Program

There are more than half a million children in the foster care system in the United States. Here in Adams County, at any given time, we have approximately 1000 children residing in out of home care. About half of those children reside with relatives; however, the rest of those children are placed foster homes. At this time, due to the shortage of foster homes across the nation, but more specifically Adams County, many of those children are placed out of their communities. Our children need and deserve to remain in their communities. The children of Adams County need foster families, who reside in Adams County or close to Adams County to care for them.

Foster care is a way of providing a family life for children who cannot live with their own parents. Foster care is used to provide temporary care while parents get help sorting out problems, or to help children or young people through a difficult period in their lives. Most often children will return home once the problems that caused them to come into foster care have been resolved and it is clear that their parents are able to look after them safely.

Foster families play an essential role in helping parents stay emotionally connected to their child while they are in foster care and in supporting family reunification. Foster families provide a temporary family life for children who are unable to live with their own families.