“I NEED A FAMILY”
written by Aaron Chastain, Assistant Director of Foster Care
I recently sat in the car on a Friday night with knots in my stomach, staring into nothingness. Sitting there in a parking lot, I was both ready to cry and felt rage at the same time. It was one of those "righteous anger" moments. Why? I have a great family to go home to and a great life to live. And yet I had just dropped off another foster kid who had no place to go. Honestly, it sickened me to temporary paralysis. I just sat there weeping for this child.
It disturbed me when I asked this child, just before they were picked up by DCFS, “What do you need?” thinking they would say a "a phone charger, an energy drink, or a cigarette lighter.” Instead, they said: “I need... a family.”
A FAMILY!
There was no family for them. None.
I’m thankful for the foster homes we have, but the truth is, there are just not enough. There are so many kids in Arkansas without families that it can feel like quicksand trying to find a family for them. As soon as you think you have a grip on the crisis, you start to sink again. Over 4,700 kids to fit into 1,500 homes across the state. Yes, quicksand.
Don't get lost in the 4,700 number. Focus on the number: 1. You can help 1 child. No saviors needed here. Just a willing family. Sadly, there are so many scenarios just like the one I experienced that night. DCFS is also overworked and exhausted looking for families and we often share the stress of finding homes for kids.
There are many broken issues around us and on the news, where you can at least see pictures and know names. But you cannot see foster care. Due to legal constraints, no pictures or names can be made public. It is left in the shadows and now I was personally seeing another child falling through the cracks.
I cannot leave it in the dark, unseen, and unnoticed.
It has been about 4 weeks since I sat in the car that night. And 4 weeks later I've still been looking for a family for this 1 child. I was able to find 1 family so far to take him in: mine...
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