Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Utah faces a shortage of foster families with 1,700 children in care.
- Align Utah seeks families from Logan to St. George to address the need.
- Substance use is a leading cause; children average 13 months in foster care.
BOUNTIFUL — Foster care agencies in Utah say they are facing a shortage of families willing to take in children, especially in counties outside of Salt Lake County.
Last year, about 1,700 children were in foster care across the state, but there were only 800 licensed foster families, according to the nonprofit Utah Foster Care.
Align Utah, a foster care agency based in Bountiful, is working to recruit more caregivers in Davis County and beyond. Tina Worton, Align Utah's chief visionary officer, said the need stretches from Logan to St. George.
"Utah is a wonderful state to live in. We're so family-oriented. But our foster youth oftentimes get forgotten," Worton said.
The agency said matching children with families who understand their culture and lifestyle helps them thrive.
Foster parent Seini Pepe Lavaka said she's seen the importance of this.
"If he is Caucasian or if he's Black American, I have to remind myself that when he is in, that kid is in my house, I have to make sure that I allow him that opportunity to be himself in his own culture," Lavaka said.
She's taken in more than 40 children in foster care.
"We have kids that come like respite where they only need, like, a one-night to stay," Lavaka said. "We have kids who are transitioning, like, getting ready to either return to their home, or get adopted or looking for a permanent home."
According to Utah Foster Care, the leading reason children enter the system is substance use in the home. Most children spend an average of 13 months in foster care.
Worton said the right family can make a lasting impact. So far this year, she said all of Align Utah's high school students graduated, about 65% of the children they serve in the juvenile justice system got a job and 85% of foster children participate in therapy or treatment.
She said good caregivers and solid homes do help foster youth.
"They can learn those coping mechanisms. They can definitely do better in school," Worton said. "They can definitely do better when they're dating. They can definitely do better when they're preparing for jobs and working with others where there's timelines, deadlines and expectations."
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services is in particular need for families willing to take in siblings, medically fragile children, teens and youth with behavioral challenges.
Some prospective foster parents assume the process is harder than it is, Worton said.
"I have had five families just in this last month express to me, 'I thought it was a lot harder, I thought getting trained and going through the process to become a licensed foster parent were for people that are out here to get degrees and college and a master's degree or a Ph.D.,'" she said. "We provide you the financial means to remove financial barriers to make a difference."
Align Utah offers a 15-minute phone consultation to answer questions and address concerns about fostering.
Click here for more information about Align Utah Foster Care.
