Philadelphia is in a foster care crisis.
The city made a call for 300 more foster parents to help care for over 6,000
foster children currently in need of homes. But days later they cut off foster
care placements for Catholic Social Services, one of the most effective
agencies in the city. “I simply couldn’t believe it I mean don’t they realize
what work this group is doing, the children that they’re taking care of”
Foster parents like Sharonell are standing up for the foster care agency
that brought their families together Sharonell has fostered more than 40
children over 25 years. She wouldn’t have been able to help so many children
without the around-the-clock support of Catholic Social Services. “They’ve always
cared they continued to show me compassion with the children that I
fostered. They’re there 24 hours a day and that kept me feeling that what I was
doing was necessary and that I had support. Catholic Social Services has
been providing foster care for the city’s most needy children for over a
hundred years including older children and sibling groups who often have a hard
time finding a home. It’s faith and mission help the agency play a unique
role in recruiting new foster families. It’s essential for a foster parent to
work with an agency of their choice and if it is a religious person they should
have the freedom to choose the agency that they want to work with to continue
the values of their faith. I believe that we need more agencies to support the
children and take care of them, not less. If they don’t want to place any more
children with Catholic Social Services it’s gonna hurt the children. That’s where
my heart is, the children