FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 8, 2023
Pitt County Celebrates National Foster Care Month Throughout May
DSS to host foster care events in support of foster, adoptive families
PITT COUNTY, N.C. – Pitt County Department of Social Services (DSS) will host several foster care events in celebration of National Foster Care Month, a month-long initiative led by the U.S. Children’s Bureau.
National Foster Care Month aims to acknowledge foster parents, family members, volunteers, mentors, policymakers, child welfare professionals and other community members who help children and youth in foster care find permanent homes and connections.
As of late March, there are 206 children and youth in Pitt County DSS custody and 12 involved in the Foster Care 18 to 21 Program. Youth and foster families in Pitt County are currently supported by 22 DSS staff members, four supervisors and one manager committed to making meaningful differences in the lives of those involved in child welfare.
This year’s National Foster Care Month theme “Strengthening Minds. Uplifting Families.” will highlight the importance of prioritizing mental health as an essential component to the overall health and well-being of those involved with child welfare.
Mental and behavioral health is the largest unmet need for children and youth in foster care, with about 80 percent facing significant mental health issues due to the complex traumas that occur when entering foster care.
“Pitt County DSS is committed to providing mental health support through a multifaceted lens that considers culture, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender and disability of the recipient to ensure services are effective,” says Sharon Rochelle, DSS Director.
“National Foster Care Month will help raise awareness about the importance of prioritizing mental health. This year’s theme, ‘Strengthening Minds. Uplifting Families.’ emphasizes how it is essential to create a child welfare system that takes a holistic and culturally responsive approach to supporting the mental health needs of our nation’s diverse populations,” says Chandra Mewborn, DSS Permanency Planning Unit Supervisor.
In celebration, Pitt County DSS will host an internal Foster Care Appreciation Event on Tuesday, May 9, 2023. Pitt County staff and requested community partners are invited for coffee, fruit and muffins at 9:00 a.m. on the second floor of the Pitt County Office Building.
DSS will honor Pitt County licensed foster parents and relative placements on Saturday, May 13, 2023 with an event from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Space Cadets Indoor Playground located in the Greenville Square Shopping Center, 611 Greenville Blvd SE, Greenville, NC.
For more information, please contact Pitt County DSS at 252-902-1244.
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Media Contact:
Dawn C. Jones
Director, Public Information & Media Relations Past Releases:
dawn.jones@pittcountync.gov | (252) 902-2955 www.PittCountyNC.gov/PIO