A foster care town hall is set to take place in DeKalb County on Saturday as organizers work to connect the community with foster care resources and address a growing local need.
The event will be held at Outreach Baptist Church and is designed to educate residents about foster care while offering ways for individuals, families, and faith communities to get involved. Charlotte Richardson, community engagement manager for the Tennessee Valley and Upper Cumberland regions with Tennessee Kids Belong, said the town hall is focused on raising awareness and creating opportunities for community support.
“This town hall is a community-wide event for folks who live in DeKalb County,” Richardson said. “Our goal is to kind of build awareness in DeKalb County when it comes to the needs of the foster care community.”
Richardson said DeKalb County currently has only four foster homes, including both private provider and Department of Children’s Services homes, while dozens of children are in foster care.
“As of December, roughly fifty-five kiddos are in care,” Richardson said. “There’s a huge need of more homes so that children, when they come into foster care in DeKalb County, they’re not having to be placed outside of their community and outside of their county.”
During the town hall, Richardson said attendees will hear from a panel that includes foster parents, adoptive parents, former foster youth, and representatives from DCS and private providers.
“Our hopes are that people will be educated about some common misconceptions when it comes to foster care,” Richardson said. “They’ll learn what the next step is and what foster parenting might look like in their current life stage.”
Richardson said the event is also aimed at helping foster parents feel supported so they can continue fostering long-term.
“Our goal is to absolutely provide families with an opportunity to sign up to be foster parents,” Richardson said. “But also to say if you’re not in a position right now to open your home, there are still other things you can do to support families.”
The town hall will be held at Outreach Baptist Church in DeKalb County at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17. Childcare and a light brunch will be provided, and no registration or materials are required to attend.
Outreach Baptist Church is also launching a foster closet beginning Jan. 17, offering additional support and resources for foster families in the community.