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Youth Villages of East Tennessee is looking for new foster parents in the New Year.

Jessi Bernardini, Youth Villages foster parent recruiter and trainer supervisor, said there are 8,000 children in the State of Tennessee who need to be adopted and in East Tennessee there are more than 400 who need a foster home.

“Every day the foster care system continues to grow and we are drastically in need of parents to adopt and also foster children,” Bernardini said. “We have opened up eight new foster homes in Morristown and they are all currently full, so we need some more homes available to house children.”

“I know everyone is walking a different path and some may want to help on a temporary basis as a foster parent which is fantastic but we do have a lot of kids looking for their forever home.”

Bernardini and her team are excited to walk interested parent through the process to become a foster parent through Youth Villages.

The first step to become a foster parent is reaching out to the local team and attend an info session.

“To start you will contact the local office, which would be the Morristown office, and express your interest and motivation in the work,” Bernardini said. “Then you attend an info session that will explain everything you need to know on being a foster parent.”

Following the initial call and info meeting, parents will participate in a 6 to 8 week virtual training to become foster parents.

“After you express your interest you will begin a 6 to 8 week training with our Tennessee Key Classes and we still offer virtual classes,” Bernardini said. “What is great about the training is you can finish it at your own pace, so you decide based on your schedule when to finish the courses.”

Throughout training parents will be filling out paper work, home study interviews and health course such as CPR and first aid.

After graduating from the Tennessee Key Classes, Youth Villages begins to pair parents with foster kids.

“As soon as parent’s graduate we try to flip that pretty quickly and get their opened and ready to foster.”

As foster parents take in children, Youth Villages continues to give support to the children and the parents.

“Parents have a counselor coming to visit anywhere from 1 to 3 times a week, helping parents and providing treatment to the children,” Bernardini said. “We also have 24/7 crisis hotline for parents to call in a time of need.”

“Many parents think that they will be on this journey alone and we want to reassure them that they are not alone and we are with them every step of the way.”

Bernardini wants to eliminate the fear of attachment from potential foster parents and encourage them to bond with their children.

“Many people are interested in foster care but they are scared of that attachment and I say lean in to that attachment,” Bernardini said, “Whether you are fostering for a week or a year that will be some of the best attachment that kid receives.”

“Don’t be afraid of that attachment because these kids need it. Foster care be really hard at times, but Youth Villages does a good job of showing support in those hard times.”

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.

The organization offers several evidence and research based programs, including residential treatment, foster care, adoption, crisis services and its two national models.

Its goal is to give children the chance to become part of a loving, nurturing foster family until they and their birth families are ready to be reunited.

For more information on becoming a foster parent visit its website or its Morristown office is located on 225 West First North Street in suite 302.