Maryland’s Department of Human Resources, Maryland Public Television and various community partners are coming together in an effort to highlight the state’s need to recruit foster and adoptive parents.
For those who have ever considered becoming a foster parent or want to learn more about the adoption process, tonight’s MPT programming is intended to shed light on Maryland’s foster care system.
The channel will host a live phone bank in conjunction with the MPT-produced documentary “Foster Care Stories: A Place To Be.”
> “Often times, people believe things about foster care and the system that aren’t true, and those beliefs will be put aside,” said Elyn Garrett Jones, DHS spokeswoman.
“Most people think that children in foster care come from drug-abusing parents or broken homes — that’s not always true,” Garrett Jones said. “The great thing is that many children in foster care end up growing their own families and caring for their children.”
MPT has been interested in getting involved with the Maryland’s foster care effort since the state at the beginning of the year launched a campaign to recruit at 1,000 foster parents by 2010.
At the time the “1,000 by ‘10” campaign was announced, more than 10,000 children were in out-of-home placements, and about 20 percent were in group homes. Maryland had about 2,800 foster families at the beginning of the year, but the state lost 1,000 foster families from 2003 to 2007.
“We hope the airing of this documentary and the phone bank will help build those numbers,” said MPT spokesman Mike Golden. “We as an organization have a concern about the issue.”
A live phone bank, staffed by community partners, including the Maryland Foster Youth Resource Center and the Maryland Foster Parent Association, during the broadcast will direct callers to local foster care resources. Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown is scheduled to assist with the phone bank.
The adoption process, from the initial decision to the legal review, can stretch over months, according to Maryland adoption agencies.
How to help:
» Maryland Public Television’s live phone bank and airing of “Foster Care Stories: A Place to Be,” is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. (check local listings for MPT)
» The number to call during the phone bank to receive more information around foster and adoptive parenting is 800-222-1292.
acannarsa@baltimoreexaminer.com
