Foster care agency anticipates greater need for foster parents after pandemic

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Foster care agencies are anticipating a greater need for foster parents once the pandemic is over because reports of child abuse will likely go back up.

Jennifer Abney, the founder of Angels Foster Family Network, says with so many families stuck at home, people on the outside who might see signs of child abuse aren’t in the picture.

“There are no adoptions happening or parental rights being terminated or even kids being sent home by the court,” Abney said.

Angels Foster Family Network is still doing placements, but with extra precautions like having the temperatures of families and kids taken, regular check-ins and not placing kids in homes where people are immunocompromised.

To prepare for the possible influx after the pandemic, Abney says now is a great time for potential foster parents to get started with the process. There’s extra time now to get the paperwork and training done.

“The intake is down right now, and I’m just waiting for the time when everything opens back up and kids go back to daycare, and school’s out for the year, but I think we’re going to see a little bit of an influx, and that’s when we really need foster parents,” Abney said.