How Elkins Can Support Foster Youth—From Homes to Community Care

Nearly 400 children under 18—about 2% of youth in the region—are in the foster care system across eight counties surrounding Elkins (Barbour, Grant, Hardy, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph, Tucker, and Upshur). Yet the number of children under the age of 18 who need homes far exceeds available safe placements.

NECCO is one of several agencies in West Virginia working to place the state’s 6,000 foster children in safe, therapeutic homes. In addition to foster care services, NECCO also works on adoption, mental health counseling, independent living, and residential living. “We’re providing a safety net for kids at their greatest time of need, so they do not end up in congregate care [group homes or facilities that house multiple kids],” said Teresa McCourt, the Elkins Program Director.

Many of these children have experienced significant trauma in their home lives, and being placed in a different part of West Virginia, far from extended family members, only adds to what is already a horrifying experience, explained McCourt. “We want to try to keep kids as close to home as possible,” she added, “so we are doing everything we can to ensure they will be able to stay in their communities.”

Providing care to foster children, in-home or out-of-home

Agencies like NECCO offer foster care services within three pillars:

• Finding long-term care providers
• Foster-to-adopt services
• Part-time care, including babysitting for short absences or respite care when foster parents travel (e.g., for work)

The most immediate way to address West Virginia’s foster care crisis is to increase the number of available homes. But for those in the community who would like to do their part to help improve the system but are not in a position to house a foster child, there is plenty of work that can be done. “It’s not just about opening your home,” insisted McCourt.

For adults who are interested in offering temporary care to foster children for a few hours or a few days, the steps involved are similar to what full-time foster care providers experience:

• First, after an adult makes contact with an agency like NECCO expressing interest, they will have an initial interview.
• The State of West Virginia then conducts background checks; adults wishing to offer foster care at any level must not have any record of violence.
• After the background check, a training process ensues, which is done online so future care providers with full-time jobs or similar commitments can complete them at a time convenient for them. A total of nine different classes must be completed.
• Home visits and safety inspections are then undertaken.

The entire process can take anywhere from two to three months. McCourt explained that NECCO staff even assist these families and care providers with home preparations, from repairing windows to ensuring kitchens have fire extinguishers.

Other ways to help

Even for those unable to foster, supporting these children and their temporary families can make a profound difference, McCourt explained. Even small gestures matter. For example, ensuring a warm welcome when a foster child moves into your neighborhood can ease their transition. “If we can succeed in educating the community about what these kids need, that’s a first step,” said McCourt.

Residents can simply let foster children know that they can feel safe in their community and are ready to lend a hand to their families. Simple steps can include just making the children feel they have someone to chat with on their neighbors’ front porch, lend an ear to these children’s challenges, or even offering to make a meal for the family or invite them over for dinner.

For those interested in stepping up when supporting foster children, there are other ways to help. While a family will receive a clothing voucher in the event a child within the system arrives at their home without the most basic of necessities, that process can take a few days. “We’re trying to develop a ‘foster closet’ of new items, from pajamas to toiletries,” explained McCourt, “we’d appreciate donations to bridge the gap between a child’s arrival and the moment they receive essentials.”

McCourt has made it clear that she and the staff at NECCO are grateful for all the community support Elkins residents have given to foster children and their families, from organizing activities to local churches providing duffle bags filled with clothing and other items for children who had just been relocated to new homes. Nevertheless, children in foster care face several challenges, especially those who are approaching the age of 18.

The urgent need for teen placements

“We have an overall placement rate of 98%, but we just do not have enough homes for teenagers, and that is our largest population,” she said. “It’s difficult because many people still have these assumptions of what kids are bringing with them when they enter the foster system. Yes, their needs may be at a level that’s significant, but there is still so much potential in these teens.”

Teens approaching the time they “age out” of foster care at 18 face an uncertain future. If they cannot be placed in a safe and secure home, they often face a higher rate of homelessness; the odds are higher that they will find themselves ensnared in the state’s criminal justice system; and they also risk not completing their education, much less enrolling in junior college or learning a trade.

Despite these challenges, some local families have opened their homes to teens—with transformative results. McCourt’s face lit up when talking about one such family in Elkins. “One family adopted a young man after he turned 18,” she said, “which was wonderful as there’s an assumption out there that you can’t be adopted after you turn that age—but it simply isn’t true.” That same home is currently fostering four other children, all teens.

Whether Elkins residents want to foster at any level, organize donations, or simply commit time to supporting youth in the system, McCourt emphasized that everyone who participates plays a vital role: “They are showing kids what safety really feels like.”

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