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Youth Villages, a nonprofit that aims to be a force for families, is in need of more foster parents with the increase of children entering the system.

Youth Villages is a national leader in children’s mental and behavioral health, bringing help and hope to tens of thousands of children, families and young people across the United States.

“Our goal is to help children find a temporary placement where they are safe and loved until they are reunited with their birth parents or find their forever home,” said Briana Hill, a representative of Youth Villages. “We try to help children and families live successfully and we do that through a variety of programs.”

The organization offers several programs, including residential treatment, foster care, adoption and crisis services.

“We have a residential program which is primarily on the west side of the state and that’s for children who need inpatient care.

“We have the LifeSet program which helps children who have aged out of the system and we teach them skills and about resources that will aid them in their transition into adulthood,” Hill said.

However, Youth Villages’ biggest need is its foster care program. The organization drastically needs more foster parents willing to take in displaced youth.

“Right now in the state we have more than 8,000 kids in foster care and there are more than 900 kids in the system in the Lakeway Area,” Hill said. “So we need a lot more foster parents to give kids a home while they either wait for the parents to regain custody or they are adopted.”

“Currently we only have 150 homes in East Tennessee and we are looking to certify 16 new homes this year,” Hill said.

Although the process to become a parent may seem daunting the Youth Villages team will walk parents through all procedures.

“For those interested or just thinking about it we have information sessions where we explain the process of becoming a foster parent, answer all questions and even have a few parents explain their experiences as a parent,” Hill said. “After the information session if someone is still interested they will begin a training process where we walk them through each step and help them become a certified foster parent.”

However, even after becoming certified, Youth Villages will continue to offer support to parents as they care for their foster kids.

“There are several services that we offer to help to continue to support the children and the foster parents,” Hill said. “A counselor will come visit anywhere from 1 to 3 times a week, helping parents and providing treatment to children. There is also a 24/7 crisis hotline for parents to call in a time of need.”

If parents are wary of becoming a full time foster parent, Youth Villages can place them with a short term placement.

“For parents who are not sure about becoming a full time foster parent or want to get their feet wet before diving in we can give them short term placements so they can get brief experiences,” she said. “There are many times when kids just need a home for a short period, just until another home prepares or another family member gets ready to take them in.”

For more information about Youth Villages, visit its website or visit its local office, located on 225 West First North Street in suite 302.