Wayne social services determined to find homes for 10 special children
By Matt Shaw
Published in News on January 25, 2005 2:01 PM
Wayne County Social Services will launch a new effort next month to find permanent homes for some hard-luck children.
The "Campaign for Kids" is scheduled to begin Feb. 18, DSS Director Judy Pelt told the Board of Social Services on Monday.
The department has chosen 10 children who are currently in the county's custody to feature during the campaign. All are adolescents, and many have come from neglectful or abusive households, which result in some behavior problems.
Still, the right homes are out there, if only the county can find them, Mrs. Pelt said. "There is a parent for every child; it's just a matter of matching them."
The county plans to feature each of the children in a video, which will be shown to perspective parents.
"We may have to do a nationwide search to find the right homes," she said. "We couldn't find them all here in Wayne County, by any means."
Social Services will need to inform the adults completely about the children and then, after matches are made, the department will need to continue to stay in contact with the families, she said.
Each case could take years of follow-up to head off conflicts. This could prove difficult if adoptions are made across county or state lines because of the need to coordinate with other social services agencies.
But those challenges can be and should be overcome, she said. "We're talking about forever families."