SHERMAN OAKS : Group to Recruit Foster Families

A Sherman Oaks nonprofit organization has received approval from the state to match children with foster parents and will begin recruiting eligible families and individuals immediately, a spokeswoman for the organization said Thursday.

The HELP Group is a parent organization for a number of agencies that deliver services to children who have been emotionally, sexually or physically abused or have developmental disabilities. It added the foster family program to provide homes for the growing number of children with special needs who do not have a secure place to live, said Pam Jordan, director of the foster family program.

“The home is the best place to raise a child,” Jordan said. “It allows them to have a routine, be involved in a school and active with their peers.”

There are about 38,000 children in foster homes in Los Angeles County, where caseloads have grown steadily in the last several years, according to a spokesman for the California Department of Social Services’ Foster Care Recruitment Program.

“The recession has a lot to do with the increase,” said Richard Trujillo, manager of recruitment for the department. “Parents lose their jobs and can’t cope, and families are breaking up.”

As a licensed foster family agency, the HELP Group will recruit and screen families and individuals interested in caring for children with special needs. The group will then train families in a 20-hour program before matching them with a child referred by the Los Angeles County Department of Children’s Services. The organization will remain involved with the families through ongoing support services.

In order to qualify to become a foster parent through the HELP Group, a candidate must be over 21 years old and relatively healthy, and be willing to make at least a year commitment to care for a child. Candidates must also pass all state foster care regulations. Foster families will receive $700 to $1,200 a month for a child. For more information on how to become a foster, parent call the HELP Group at (818) 781-0360.