Stay tuned to meet
two women on a mission.
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My name is Yvonne Lewis
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and you're
watching Urban Report.
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Hello and
welcome to Urban Report.
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My guests today are
both from the southern region
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of the Illinois Department
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of Children and Family Services;
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Lori Gray,
regional administrator
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and Vendetta
Dennis, program manager.
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Welcome to Urban
Report, Lori and Vendetta.
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Thank you.
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Our program,
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and I don't know if you
had a chance to ever watch it,
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but this
program has testimonies,
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but also resources
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and we wanted to
have you from DCFS today
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to just kinda share with us
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what's going on in the
whole foster care field.
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Why is foster care
important first of all?
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Well, it's so important
because there are families
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that need support and help
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and children that
need places to live um...
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that's the minimum they need.
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They need a lot more than that.
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They need mentors
and guides and parents
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and people to help them recover
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from things that
have happen to them,
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bad things that have happened.
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So there's a lot
of call for families
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to come forward and
help these young people...
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be them...get their best life.
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Yes, yes what would you say
is a kind of a typical profile
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of a child that
comes to you, Vendetta?
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Probably, a child
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who has been neglected
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as a result of substance abuse
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where the parent
has been unable to
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properly parent him in the home
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which has resulted in
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him being neglected in
terms of maybe food, clothing,
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shelter,
educational needs umm...
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that's
probably, that's one type.
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We also have situations
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where children
may have been abused
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also from substance abuse,
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mental illness, physical abuse,
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just about every
societal ill so to speak,
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touches the life of the children
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that we serve.
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How do people...
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How do you find these children?
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Because normally
I know the children
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wouldn't come to you.
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How do you find them?
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Every one actually hmm...
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So state Illinois has a hotline,
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24 hour hotline,
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and anytime somebody
suspects abuse or neglect,
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they can call the hotline
and that will create a report
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and then, we do what is
called an investigation,
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and we make a
decision at that point in time
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whether the children are safe
to remain with their parents
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or if they are not,
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then we remove
them from the home.
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That's actually not the
largest part of what we do.
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We do do services
with intact families,
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try to support
families, strengthen them,
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help them maintain at
home with their parents,
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that's our first goal always.
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Removal is really less
then 5% with the reports we get.
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So those tend be the cases
that get the most attention...
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Okay.
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But that 5%, that's
a difficult population
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and those are children
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typically who
have really suffered
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pretty serious abuse and neglect
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as Vendetta described.
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So that hotline
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and our programs
goes around the country,
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are they others that
you know of other hotlines
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around the country
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for different
child protective services
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that people can call in
and say I suspect that...
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Is it anonyms or is it?
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It is in Illinois. Okay
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It can be in Illinois.
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I'm not...I can't
speak for the other States,
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most...all state
do have a hotline,
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but you can also
notify law enforcement
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if it's
something serious or urgent
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or something like that,
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but I'm not sure, I
couldn't say nationally,
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the rules regarding anonymity,
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but in Illinois, you
can remain anonymous.
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'Cause I would think
that there might be some calls
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that are just not
grounded in reality
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and then some that are so,
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you know, and then some
people don't let it to be known
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that they are the ones
that called and, you know,
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for retaliation
purposes and all that.
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So, I would think
that would be an issue,
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but I didn't know
that that's really just 5%
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that the
children, that are abused
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are really, maybe,
just 5% of the children
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that you deal with.
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Well, let me clarify that.
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The 5% number, the under 5%
are the children we've removed
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from their parents.
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There a much
larger number of children
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that we have involvement with
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in an effort to
keep them at home
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and to keep them in
their home of parents,
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and we try to provide
services to the parents
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and keep them there.
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And see I love
that because it's so,
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no matter how uncomfortable
unless there's abuse going on,
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no matter how
uncomfortable it is
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that's still the child's home.
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So it would seem to me
that it would be so traumatic
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to remove the
child from the home
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unless there's abuse.
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If there's abuse, you
have to do it, obviously,
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but if not, it
makes so much more sense
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to strengthen that family.
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So what kinds
of things do you do
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to strengthen the family unit?
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What we have, what's
what we call intech services
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and those services are called
families that we serve...we
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assign a case
manager, and we provide,
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as Vendetta mentioned,
substance abuse serve...
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well, we refer them
out for those services,
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substance abuse services,
mental health services,
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we can do parenting again,
home parenting classes with,
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you know, we can help
them get on their feet.
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We actually have some
funds available to help a family
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who maybe is in poverty,
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doesn't have housing or
the ability to pay for food.
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So there's a lot
we can do in home,
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and we would only remove a child
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if those things could
not, there was enough,
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we could do in that
way to keep them safe.
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Explain what both
of you do for DCFS.
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What do both of you do?
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I know you're
the regional manager.
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I'm the regional administrator.
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So basically, I'm
over the operations
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in the bottom 34
county of southern Illinois,
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so from the metro east,
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St. Louis area down to the
Alexander county Cairo area.
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So I'm over all
the follow-up services,
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those are children who
have come into foster care
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and then, all the child
protection investigations
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that are also
conducted in Southern Illinois.
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What do you do Vendetta?
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I am over the foster home
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recruitment and retention
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and the permanency,
the permanency achievement,
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excuse me, permanency
achievements specialist.
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The permanency achievement
specialist are those workers
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who work with a
family at the beginning
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of their involvement in
the foster care experience.
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We've trying to locate relatives
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or what we call fictive kin
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or any other support of
resource to their family
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that may be of
assistance to their family
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while their child or
children are in care.
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They also work with children
who have been identified,
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what we call step downs,
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they have been in a
residential placement,
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and they are in now ready
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to be in a less
restrictive environment
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meaning a
specialized foster home
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or a traditional foster home
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or it may be even step home
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or even be able to go home
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to their biological family.
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So they work
with the case managers
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that have those cases
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to try to make
sure that that happens.
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So they involved
at the front door
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and also at the back door.
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Of course, the foster
care recruitment and retention
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is pretty obvious a
work with those individuals
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that go out and
recruit foster homes
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and then work
with the foster homes
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to try to make sure that we
are being supportive of them
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so that we can retain them.
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Right, right. So
what the foster home...
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Were you gonna
say something? Oh!
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With the foster homes,
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what kinds of
parents do you look for?
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What kinds of
families do you look for
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to place the children in?
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It's interesting
that the children
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that are coming in a
foster care are very unique,
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and so it's hard to kind of
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summarize the needs
of each individual child
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'coz who knows what families
are gonna work for what child.
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Generally speaking, you know,
you have to be 21 at foster,
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and we require background
check that they clear, you know?
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No criminal history
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or no history of
abuse and neglect.
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You know, we have
minimum requirements for,
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you know, a place to
live and the foster child
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will have some space
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and so there are kinda
of those minimum things.
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Does it have to be a couple?
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Can it be a single person?
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Single person, civil unions.
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We've had sisters
that lived together
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who fostered together.
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We've had single
people working, not working.
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Actually, it's pretty much
as long as you're an adult,
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you can handle and can
pass a background check
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and we believe you can
provide care, adequate care,
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it's certainly an opportunity.
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That's great and so,
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there is some kind of
remuneration for this, right?
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The parents, the
State will pay the parent.
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What does that...
how does that run?
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How does that work?
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So basically, so
children in foster care,
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we do pay for...
it's basically their...
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for their care, their board
and we call it a Board Rate,
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a technical term,
but it's a Board Rate
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and basically it's
supposed to help with
00:11:59.45\00:12:01.65
food and clothing and
those kinds of things.
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Okay, but you
can't give me any like...
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Oh!
00:12:07.16\00:12:08.49
Well, it actually varies
depending on the type of home.
00:12:08.52\00:12:11.16
So for example, many
of our foster parents
00:12:11.19\00:12:14.63
are relative caregivers,
00:12:14.66\00:12:16.77
and so they
actually receive a lower rate
00:12:16.83\00:12:19.83
if they are unlicensed
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'coz a
traditional foster parent,
00:12:22.24\00:12:23.57
which we have
somebody a stranger to a child
00:12:23.61\00:12:25.91
let's say, they are considered
a traditional foster parent
00:12:25.94\00:12:29.28
and so they are licensed by us
00:12:29.31\00:12:31.75
and then they
receive a higher rate
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which is somewhere
for $475 or $486 a month
00:12:33.28\00:12:38.52
per child.
00:12:38.55\00:12:40.62
But a relative, for example,
would receive a reduced rate
00:12:40.66\00:12:43.79
coz they are not
licensed necessarily.
00:12:43.83\00:12:46.59
So, if the
relative became licensed,
00:12:46.66\00:12:48.76
they receive the higher rates.
00:12:48.80\00:12:50.13
They receive the
higher rates. Yes.
00:12:50.20\00:12:51.53
And how long is
the licensing process?
00:12:51.57\00:12:54.34
It varies.
00:12:54.37\00:12:55.80
They are...
00:12:55.84\00:12:59.54
typically three to six months.
00:12:59.57\00:13:02.88
Yeah, right that would
be about right, six months.
00:13:02.91\00:13:04.78
I think that would be fair.
00:13:04.81\00:13:07.82
So, usually, let's
kinda walk me through this,
00:13:07.85\00:13:11.12
walk of yours through this,
00:13:11.15\00:13:13.69
so someone calls
your agency and says,
00:13:13.76\00:13:17.13
"Little Johnny is being abused
00:13:17.16\00:13:20.23
by his mom and dad,"
00:13:20.30\00:13:23.37
and so from that call on,
00:13:23.43\00:13:26.57
walk us through what
happens to little Johnny.
00:13:26.60\00:13:30.47
So it would depend
on where they called,
00:13:30.51\00:13:34.84
if they'd called, they
should call the hotline
00:13:34.88\00:13:38.28
or they could call the police
00:13:38.31\00:13:41.38
and once they
called the hotline,
00:13:41.42\00:13:44.05
there are workers
that have been trained
00:13:44.09\00:13:48.89
to screen these types of calls,
00:13:48.92\00:13:54.20
to try to see if
there is not evidence
00:13:54.23\00:14:00.84
but if there is a
suspected possibility,
00:14:00.87\00:14:07.38
so to speak,
00:14:07.41\00:14:08.74
that there has been
an abuse and neglect,
00:14:08.78\00:14:10.95
those workers will ask
certain questions of the caller
00:14:10.98\00:14:14.82
and as Lori said,
their identity is...
00:14:14.85\00:14:20.86
remains anonymous,
00:14:20.89\00:14:23.02
a lot of times,
almost say a lot of times,
00:14:23.06\00:14:25.53
but some times
people can figure out
00:14:25.56\00:14:31.50
who is making the calls
00:14:31.53\00:14:34.87
and that has something
to do with someone like
00:14:34.90\00:14:38.87
with harassment
calls, some times
00:14:38.91\00:14:41.08
and when people think that
00:14:41.11\00:14:42.68
certain people have
called, they will, you know,
00:14:42.71\00:14:46.38
so they have been
trained on how to try to
00:14:46.41\00:14:49.65
distinguish between
those types of calls.
00:14:49.68\00:14:52.75
Right. Is it live
or is it numberic?
00:14:52.79\00:14:55.26
Is it real or is it
somebody with some agenda?
00:14:55.29\00:15:00.06
Right, right, exactly.
00:15:00.13\00:15:01.86
So when they
make the determination
00:15:01.90\00:15:05.37
that it is lie,
00:15:05.40\00:15:08.00
they will assign
that particular report
00:15:08.04\00:15:12.97
to a particular area
00:15:13.01\00:15:16.95
where that call is
coming from to that office,
00:15:16.98\00:15:20.62
that serves that area
00:15:20.65\00:15:22.35
and it assigned
to an investigator
00:15:22.38\00:15:26.62
and that
investigator has up to 24 hours
00:15:26.65\00:15:30.76
to initiate that report
unless it has been deemed
00:15:30.83\00:15:37.03
necessary for them
to go out prior to that,
00:15:37.07\00:15:41.14
it could be as
quickly as an hour.
00:15:41.17\00:15:43.67
It just depends on the
nature of the allegation.
00:15:43.71\00:15:46.84
So if it seems as though
00:15:46.88\00:15:48.21
the child is in
imminent danger...
00:15:48.24\00:15:49.88
Yes
00:15:49.91\00:15:51.25
Someone goes
out within the hour.
00:15:51.28\00:15:52.61
Yes.
00:15:52.65\00:15:53.98
Wow and then, but if
it's not like a sexual abuse
00:15:54.02\00:15:58.32
or something like that,
00:15:58.35\00:16:00.89
then it might be
24 hours or 48 hours
00:16:00.92\00:16:03.79
or something like that.
00:16:03.86\00:16:05.19
Yes, yes.
00:16:05.23\00:16:06.56
And a lot of that is
based on age of the child,
00:16:06.59\00:16:10.10
what they are alleging.
00:16:10.17\00:16:12.33
Just as an example,
00:16:12.37\00:16:14.84
we consider an
emergency response,
00:16:14.87\00:16:17.97
it was a young child in a home
00:16:18.01\00:16:19.77
that didn't have any heat
00:16:19.81\00:16:22.01
and the
temperature was, you know,
00:16:22.04\00:16:24.35
one of those below zero
night wind chills, you know,
00:16:24.38\00:16:26.72
and so something
like that can create
00:16:26.75\00:16:28.58
an emergency response.
00:16:28.62\00:16:30.99
So even though that
may be an allegation
00:16:31.02\00:16:33.69
that the house
wasn't appropriate
00:16:33.76\00:16:35.89
and normally, we might
take 24 hours to initiate that,
00:16:35.92\00:16:38.86
in that particular
situation, it's an emergency
00:16:38.89\00:16:41.66
because we have a
young child with no heat.
00:16:41.70\00:16:43.93
Right, Right
00:16:43.97\00:16:45.30
And it's a long
night when you're cold.
00:16:45.33\00:16:46.67
So it does really just vary,
and there's a lot of judgment
00:16:46.70\00:16:50.07
that plays into that when
they make those decisions.
00:16:50.11\00:16:54.04
So the person has called,
00:16:54.08\00:16:56.64
the investigator
has been assigned,
00:16:56.71\00:17:00.18
the investigator goes to home,
00:17:00.25\00:17:02.38
what kind of
responses do you often get
00:17:02.42\00:17:05.95
when that person...
00:17:05.99\00:17:07.32
Well, first I guess they call
to say that they are coming.
00:17:07.39\00:17:09.82
No, no, no. Oh!
They just show up?
00:17:09.86\00:17:11.36
Yes. Oh, okay.
00:17:11.39\00:17:12.83
So then what happens? Wow!
00:17:12.86\00:17:14.73
Well, it varies,
you know. Yeah, yeah.
00:17:14.76\00:17:18.83
Sometimes, I think
people aren't surprised.
00:17:18.87\00:17:24.67
It depends on
what the allegation is,
00:17:24.71\00:17:31.25
but often you are
met with anger initially
00:17:31.28\00:17:37.89
because this is an
outsider coming to your home
00:17:37.92\00:17:44.16
and is telling you that
00:17:44.23\00:17:46.90
they need to question you
about something that you are
00:17:46.93\00:17:53.40
or not doing
with your child so...
00:17:53.44\00:17:58.24
That's a very sensitive place
00:17:58.27\00:18:02.81
where a stranger
comes to your home
00:18:02.84\00:18:05.95
and accuses you
of doing or not doing
00:18:05.98\00:18:09.35
something with your child.
00:18:09.38\00:18:11.49
I mean, I can see how...
00:18:11.52\00:18:13.12
That's a dangerous job.
00:18:13.15\00:18:15.39
The investigator
has a dangerous job
00:18:15.42\00:18:17.56
because there is
gonna be typically,
00:18:17.59\00:18:20.06
I would think, some resistance,
some anger and lashing out.
00:18:20.13\00:18:24.10
And sometimes,
depending on the allegation,
00:18:24.17\00:18:27.34
it may be
necessary that they have
00:18:27.37\00:18:29.67
the local police
to accompany them.
00:18:29.70\00:18:33.78
Okay.
00:18:33.81\00:18:35.14
We don't ever wanna put
our investigators in harms way.
00:18:35.18\00:18:38.75
Yeah.
00:18:38.78\00:18:40.12
If at all
possible, so if there is
00:18:40.15\00:18:42.45
even an inkling that
things may not go as smoothly,
00:18:42.48\00:18:47.49
as they possibly could,
investigators will contact.
00:18:47.56\00:18:53.80
Well, I'll just
add that investigators
00:18:53.83\00:18:56.16
don't call ahead or
whatever, but what they can do
00:18:56.20\00:18:58.83
if it's a family
they have concerned about,
00:18:58.87\00:19:02.40
they can call in
talk the law enforcement,
00:19:02.44\00:19:05.17
you know, and
ask questions about,
00:19:05.21\00:19:06.71
do you know this family?
00:19:06.74\00:19:08.68
Does this family
have a criminal history?
00:19:08.71\00:19:10.98
Is there anybody in
the household that I might,
00:19:11.01\00:19:12.85
you know, need
to be cautious of?
00:19:12.88\00:19:14.48
And they can also call
the person that reported
00:19:14.52\00:19:17.82
if that person
provided their name and number,
00:19:17.85\00:19:20.69
they can call
that reporter and say,
00:19:20.72\00:19:22.06
"You know, how do
you think this family
00:19:22.09\00:19:23.86
will respond to me coming out?
00:19:23.89\00:19:25.29
I mean are they aware
that you reported this?
00:19:25.33\00:19:27.73
There's an extra
lot of people tell them,
00:19:27.76\00:19:29.73
teachers will say, "I'm
calling in the hotline."
00:19:29.76\00:19:33.20
So some families do know,
so they can do some pre-work
00:19:33.23\00:19:37.94
to avoid some of
those situations.
00:19:37.97\00:19:40.78
But frequently, it's
just a cold knock on the door.
00:19:40.81\00:19:44.55
Wow! Okay.
00:19:44.58\00:19:46.18
So little Johnny over
in the corner some where
00:19:46.21\00:19:50.49
and the mom and the dad
00:19:50.52\00:19:52.15
opens the door, how did they...
00:19:52.19\00:19:56.26
What does the investigator say?
00:19:56.29\00:19:57.93
I know it's not
everybody says the same thing,
00:19:57.96\00:20:00.80
but it must be some
kind of general thing.
00:20:00.83\00:20:03.73
What do they say
normally to the parent
00:20:03.77\00:20:06.17
that has opened the door,
00:20:06.20\00:20:08.24
and now they are
gonna find out that
00:20:08.27\00:20:09.97
they have done or
haven't done something,
00:20:10.01\00:20:11.64
they have been
accused of something,
00:20:11.67\00:20:13.48
what does the investigator say?
00:20:13.54\00:20:17.35
I think the first
thing is engagement,
00:20:17.41\00:20:20.48
and we have to go
to the door with a,
00:20:20.52\00:20:22.38
you know, this is who we are,
00:20:22.42\00:20:24.69
and we just need
to ask some questions
00:20:24.72\00:20:27.12
and get some information
and this call has come into us
00:20:27.16\00:20:29.92
and somebody was
concerned enough to call
00:20:29.99\00:20:31.89
about your child and so,
you know, they're gonna...
00:20:31.93\00:20:34.83
most of our
investigator are well trained
00:20:34.83\00:20:37.60
in the art of negotiating
their way in the door.
00:20:37.63\00:20:41.10
I guess you could say.
00:20:41.14\00:20:42.47
So they have been
trained in that way,
00:20:42.50\00:20:46.04
not every family is as
receptive as some families.
00:20:46.07\00:20:48.74
It's interesting a
lot of families are...
00:20:48.78\00:20:50.31
I think I don't
know if it's shock
00:20:50.38\00:20:52.01
or, you know,
somebody is at my door.
00:20:52.05\00:20:54.32
A lot of families
are very okay, you know,
00:20:54.35\00:20:56.65
why are you here?
00:20:56.72\00:20:58.19
Like, I don't
understand this or they know.
00:20:58.22\00:21:01.49
I know that happened
and here's what happened
00:21:01.52\00:21:03.93
and so it's just a varying
in degree of willingness,
00:21:03.96\00:21:09.06
but it is overly
all about engagement
00:21:09.10\00:21:10.87
on the part of the investigator.
00:21:10.93\00:21:12.53
Well, that makes sense to me.
00:21:12.57\00:21:14.04
So the investigator is kind of
00:21:14.10\00:21:15.50
going on a fact-finding mission.
00:21:15.54\00:21:18.54
Yeah, exactly.
00:21:18.57\00:21:19.91
To determine whether not
the allegation are grounded.
00:21:19.94\00:21:24.01
If there is no validity to it,
00:21:24.05\00:21:25.61
they write that up
and then they are gone,
00:21:25.65\00:21:27.42
but if there is,
what do they do next?
00:21:27.48\00:21:31.19
Well, it just depends
on what the allegation is
00:21:31.22\00:21:35.76
and hopefully, we will ask them
00:21:35.79\00:21:42.23
if they would
like to have services
00:21:42.26\00:21:44.83
'coz during the
course of the investigation,
00:21:44.87\00:21:48.10
something else
may come out of it
00:21:48.14\00:21:50.64
where the family is
in need of some services
00:21:50.67\00:21:55.01
that will allow them
to be able to function
00:21:55.04\00:22:01.25
may be better
than what they were
00:22:01.28\00:22:03.05
before we
walked into their life.
00:22:03.08\00:22:05.12
So they will ask
00:22:05.15\00:22:08.16
if they would like
to have counseling,
00:22:08.19\00:22:12.19
could be a day care,
00:22:12.23\00:22:16.33
parenting.
00:22:16.36\00:22:20.84
Would they agree to do
some substance abuse services,
00:22:20.90\00:22:23.97
if that was an identified issue.
00:22:24.01\00:22:26.21
So we kinda give
them some options,
00:22:26.24\00:22:28.88
here are the
things that you could do
00:22:28.91\00:22:30.25
to strengthen your family.
00:22:30.31\00:22:31.65
We'd like to help you do that.
00:22:31.68\00:22:33.01
Are these group sessions
00:22:33.05\00:22:34.48
or are these
individualized family sessions?
00:22:34.52\00:22:38.52
In other words, if
it's substance abuse,
00:22:38.55\00:22:40.32
do they go out to a
program or if it's parenting,
00:22:40.36\00:22:44.99
do they go out to
a parenting seminar?
00:22:45.03\00:22:47.86
Yes, however.
00:22:47.86\00:22:50.00
What's available. Right.
00:22:50.03\00:22:51.70
Both kinds of parenting I think.
00:22:51.73\00:22:53.17
Right, in home and out of home.
00:22:53.20\00:22:56.00
Okay, okay.
00:22:56.04\00:22:57.37
Here, we try to do what we call
00:22:57.44\00:22:59.41
individualized
service plan with families.
00:22:59.44\00:23:04.35
We try to
identify their strengths
00:23:04.38\00:23:07.35
and their
opportunities for growth.
00:23:07.42\00:23:09.52
Nice
00:23:09.55\00:23:10.89
So and in doing that,
00:23:10.92\00:23:14.16
then we can set out
a course to help them
00:23:14.19\00:23:18.46
to be able to navigate
through the child welfare system
00:23:18.49\00:23:25.03
or to get out of the
child welfare system.
00:23:25.07\00:23:29.47
Right, right, right.
00:23:29.50\00:23:30.87
So what steps should a
parent take or families take
00:23:30.91\00:23:36.28
if they want a foster child?
00:23:36.31\00:23:38.61
What should they do?
00:23:38.65\00:23:40.58
And talk about the
need if you would for
00:23:40.62\00:23:43.12
homes to take
in, these children.
00:23:43.15\00:23:46.09
So foster, actually, nationally,
00:23:46.12\00:23:50.53
there is a need
for foster parents.
00:23:50.59\00:23:54.03
We are... there's
always gonna be a need.
00:23:54.10\00:23:56.60
We'd love to be at a business
that's just the work we do,
00:23:56.63\00:24:01.50
but there's always
gonna be a need for people
00:24:01.54\00:24:03.61
to be willing to
take in young people
00:24:03.64\00:24:06.37
and help them grow.
00:24:06.41\00:24:08.41
You know, part of the
national movement as well
00:24:08.44\00:24:11.91
is moving towards more of a,
00:24:11.95\00:24:13.85
looking at a less
in fostering children
00:24:13.92\00:24:15.68
and may be fostering families
00:24:15.72\00:24:18.09
and what can
families do to not just,
00:24:18.12\00:24:22.66
I mean, take a
child into your home
00:24:22.69\00:24:24.03
but then support
their birth family
00:24:24.06\00:24:26.33
and may be mentor them and do...
00:24:26.36\00:24:28.46
what we call shared parenting
00:24:28.50\00:24:30.87
which is where may be
a foster mother is now
00:24:30.93\00:24:34.30
also in some ways
mothering the parent
00:24:34.34\00:24:36.97
because what we know
about trauma to families,
00:24:37.01\00:24:39.87
there is a lot of these parents,
00:24:39.91\00:24:42.11
they wouldn't
unnecessarily parent it either.
00:24:42.14\00:24:44.35
That's right.
00:24:44.38\00:24:45.71
And so what we
are trying to do is
00:24:45.75\00:24:47.42
give them the same support
00:24:47.48\00:24:49.38
and hopefully, be
able to reunite them
00:24:49.42\00:24:50.85
with their children,
00:24:50.89\00:24:52.22
and if we can't reunite
them with their children,
00:24:52.25\00:24:54.62
they will still
have a relationship
00:24:54.66\00:24:56.32
with their children
00:24:56.36\00:24:57.69
that is kept
between the foster family,
00:24:57.73\00:25:01.10
the family that's
raising her child,
00:25:01.13\00:25:03.97
they can still
know the birth family
00:25:04.00\00:25:06.10
and that's so important
00:25:06.13\00:25:07.47
because so many of
the children in our system
00:25:07.54\00:25:09.47
are older youth who,
00:25:09.50\00:25:12.51
you know, they
need those commitments,
00:25:12.54\00:25:13.88
they need those
lives on connections
00:25:13.91\00:25:15.64
and that's who they want to know
00:25:15.68\00:25:17.28
when they are adults
is those birth families.
00:25:17.35\00:25:18.85
Exactly.
00:25:18.88\00:25:20.22
I'm reminded of a
family of five children
00:25:20.25\00:25:24.79
who were
fortunately placed together
00:25:24.82\00:25:27.16
which is what we like to do
00:25:27.19\00:25:29.19
whenever possible to
keep siblings together.
00:25:29.22\00:25:33.03
And they were in a foster home
00:25:33.06\00:25:35.73
that allowed the
mother to come in
00:25:35.76\00:25:40.40
and bathe the
youngest child every day,
00:25:40.44\00:25:46.47
to try to keep
that connectedness
00:25:46.51\00:25:50.41
and also help the
mother to recognize
00:25:50.45\00:25:54.08
that she was still
a part of their life
00:25:54.12\00:25:59.09
and that the place
where her children were
00:25:59.12\00:26:04.26
was a safe place
00:26:04.29\00:26:06.66
and it really help's
particularly the older children
00:26:06.73\00:26:11.50
to be able to adjust
to being without their mom
00:26:11.53\00:26:16.10
for the period of
time that they were
00:26:16.14\00:26:19.64
and then, they eventually,
they'll say, they went home
00:26:19.67\00:26:24.08
and the foster parents
provide baby sitting for them
00:26:24.15\00:26:30.09
for the mother now
00:26:30.12\00:26:32.55
because the reason they
came in to care was because
00:26:32.59\00:26:35.02
she was not
providing adequate supervision,
00:26:35.06\00:26:38.39
so she was able to get
that support system there
00:26:38.43\00:26:41.80
and...yes.
00:26:41.83\00:26:43.16
That's
beautiful, that's beautiful
00:26:43.20\00:26:44.53
'cause you kept
the family intact,
00:26:44.57\00:26:46.70
you know, the
mother still had contact.
00:26:46.74\00:26:48.90
How can people
get in touch with you
00:26:48.94\00:26:52.21
if they wanna
become foster parents?
00:26:52.24\00:26:54.04
What do they...
how do they reach you?
00:26:54.08\00:26:56.44
Well, DCFS has a website,
00:26:56.48\00:26:59.75
so it's DCFS.illinois.gov
00:26:59.78\00:27:06.42
and then, we have regionally,
we have a local person,
00:27:06.45\00:27:12.89
and so if they call 618-583-2100
00:27:12.93\00:27:18.07
and ask for, if they
are interested in fostering,
00:27:18.10\00:27:21.20
we will get them to
who they need to talk to.
00:27:21.24\00:27:23.81
Wonderful! Thank you
so much for being with us.
00:27:23.84\00:27:26.17
Thank you for
having us, thank you.
00:27:26.21\00:27:29.18
You know, James 1:27 says,
00:27:29.21\00:27:31.28
"Pure and undefiled religion
00:27:31.31\00:27:32.85
before God and
the Father is this,
00:27:32.88\00:27:35.18
'To visit orphans and
widows in their trouble,
00:27:35.22\00:27:37.62
and to keep oneself
unspotted from the world'".
00:27:37.65\00:27:40.76
While foster
children may not be orphans,
00:27:40.79\00:27:43.16
they need homes, loving
care and compassion from us.
00:27:43.19\00:27:46.90
We can train them
in a way they should go
00:27:46.93\00:27:48.80
and give them the best
gift that we have, Jesus Christ.
00:27:48.83\00:27:52.67
Well, we've reached
the end of another program.
00:27:52.70\00:27:55.30
Join us next time
'cause you know what?
00:27:55.34\00:27:57.37
It just won't be
the same without you.
00:27:57.41\00:28:00.71