When the South Dakota Department of Social Services launched the Stronger Families Together project in May 2021, the goal was to recruit 300 new foster families each year for the next four years.
Nine months into the initiative, 169 more families have become licensed foster families and many more have inquired about the process.
DSS Secretary Laurie Gill says some of the rewards of being a foster family include knowing you’ve been there when children needed you, that you provided a safe place and that you showed them you cared. She says foster care is meant to be temporary, but the positive impact foster families make in the lives of children can last a lifetime.
Gill says safely reuniting children with their birth family is the ultimate goal but, while a child is in care, foster families help youth develop interpersonal skills that help with friends, family members and school. She says foster families can provide youth the support and guidance they need while going through the trials and tribulations of adolescence.
One example of making a lifelong impact comes from Sioux Falls foster parents Debbie and Dan Nichols, who have three biological children. The kids were 6, 3 and 2 months old when their 15 year old foster daughter came to live with them.
The Nichols say, “A couple months after living with us, our bonus daughter became pregnant. We were able to give her the support and resources she needed throughout her pregnancy. Today we are part of her children’s lives. We are that place to call home for her and her kids,” they said. “It wasn’t all easy, but it was worth it!”
To learn more about becoming a foster or adoptive parent, please call 605.221.2390 or toll-free at 888.201.5061 or visit www.StrongerFamiliesTogether.com and fill out the online “Commit to know more” card.
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