POTTSVILLE, Pa. — There are about a hundred kids in foster care in Schuylkill County alone, and the number seems to only be growing, according to the Schuylkill Children and Youth Services.
To help with the county-wide issue, Amanda Kowalski started taking in foster kids at 21.
And after raising nearly a dozen kids of all ages, she was inspired to work for the organization.
“With a lot of my foster kids, just sitting down, eating a meal together, they didn't have that at home. And just having that in itself made an impact on their life,” she said.
Despite the daily reimbursement for housing a foster child, the agency says there are still not enough foster parents.
Making it especially hard for kids who don't have relatives here.
“We have a lot of transient people come through, and sometimes they don't have family here. So we need someone who can take care of a child who isn't related. So we need to open doors to have more foster parents like that,” said Anne Kelly, Specialty Unit Supervisor.
With an increase of foster kids with mental health issues, Kelly says it's crucial for foster kids to stay in familiar surroundings to be set up for success.
”Kids need to feel safe; I think that they need to feel structure and know that while maybe their mom or dad are trying to get some things together, they still have this safe place here where they can feel a little bit at home,” Kelly added.
And their goal is to reunify these children with their parents when they are ready.
“To be able to help the child, we're also helping the parents. So to help a family member and a child in Schuylkill county, in your own community, why not?” Kowalski said.
To learn more about how to be a foster parent, you can find more information here.
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