May is Foster Parent Appreciation Month

The Villages of Indiana are committed to finding safe foster homes for children and supporting foster parents.

Today we have Pam Knight, regional director of The Villages of Central Indiana. The Villages is a multi-service family agency.

The Villages is statewide and are most known for its foster care program. They provide safe nurturing homes for children who are in transition.

The Villages supports foster parents by being available on the phone 24/7. That way, they are able to contact them at any time throughout the week.

Last year, The Villages received referrals from the Department of Child Services for over 5,000 children in need of foster homes.

They were able to help around 250 children find safe homes. However, they are in need of more foster homes to be able to provide great lives for children in need.

The agency’s current need is for foster homes for children who are over the age of eight, sibling groups, and children with special medical needs. They’re able to provide training to become licensed, complete the home study, and support interested foster parents in that process.

If you’re interested to become a foster parent, the first step is to attend their virtual information sessions at villageskids.org.

During these information sessions, employees will explain the process and what it takes to become licensed. After the session, you will need to sign up for classes. The classes are 20 hours of classes.

The classes help you understand what the children who are in foster care may need. Once you complete the classes, the last step is the home study process. The Home Study process helps you determine what fit is best for you, what age group suits your family best, and how you can serve the child in need.