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PORT ROYAL -- Experts believe separating a child from their parents or home environment can cause detrimental, long-term emotional and psychological consequences.
This is likely caused by the trauma of removing them from their home.
Mandy Noss, assistant administrator for Juniata County Children and Youth Services in Mifflintown, said the emotional toll is magnified when a child leaves their community because adequate foster care is not available.
"We desperately need foster families within the county," Noss explained. "The reason it is so important is when we have to intervene and remove a child from their home due to safety concerns, get custody, we want to keep everything else as consistent as possible the same in the child's life - their school, their activities and sports and friends and family."
Placing a child outside of their community can magnify the issues at hand.
"It's really important to keep the kids in their community, so we can keep as much the same in their day-to-day life as possible," Noss added.
Unfortunately, due to a shortage of foster families, that's not always possible.
Juniata County CYS hopes to recruit new foster families at an upcoming informational session from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Port Royal Community Building, 212 W. Fourth St., Port Royal.
"It's consistent that we always have a need for families," Noss said. "Our primary goal after we get custody of the child is to find kinship to take care of them. That's not always possible." Which is why foster families play such an important role.
At the event, prospective families will have the opportunity to meet local foster parents and gather information from local foster care agencies to better determine which agency best meets their needs in becoming a foster family.
"People can come and go during the time of the event, it's not a scheduled event," Noss explained. "They can walk-in and talk to different foster care agencies and get the information they need."
Noss said there are requirements for becoming a foster family. Each agency is a little bit different, but most of them work on a 60-day application period to process applications and complete background checks and mandatory training.
"It's a big responsibility," Noss said, but also one that can be very rewarding. "People need to be able to provide a loving, caring home, and meet the child's needs. They also have to take the child to appointments and visitations with their parents."
Providing loving, caring home environments so the child feels safe is essential. "It gives us time to remedy the concerns and issues, so the children can return to their home environment," Noss said.
This is the fourth time that Juniata County CYS has held the event. The previous recruitment events have made a difference, Noss said. "Each year, we get a few more people than the year before. We hope it continues to build and more people come in. Just one is better than none."
Noss said there is also a local foster care support group, Juniata County Foster Adopt Family Support Group, that meets regularly to share first-hand experiences with new families. They will be at the event to talk to potential families about what supports there are in the community.
Juniata County CYS is also holding a Packages of Hope Drive. "Kids often go to foster homes with nothing but the clothes they are wearing," Noss explained. Toiletries and new clothing for ages 4 to adult sizes are always needed.
Items can be dropped off during the event or from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the CYS office, located at 133 Industrial Circle, Suite 1, Mifflintown, PA 17059.