Darlene Reed, Nursing Trainer. (Contributed Photo)

Last year, the Department of Children and Family saw the number of children in foster care decreased from 4,100 to 3,700. But Natalia Liriano, director of the nursing department, admits that 3,700 is still too much.

“I think the way the world is, there will always be a need for foster families. As a system, we want to make sure that there is a family on the other end to support them when a child comes into care. The aim is to reduce the number of children in care, ”she said.

She said 45% of foster children live with a relative and nine in ten live with a family.

“When they are with a family, the chances of them being cared for are greatly reduced,” said Liriano. “They either return home or stay with their relatives.”

Since March 2020, almost 700 children have been reunited with their own families, guardianship has been transferred for 360 children and another 400 have been adopted, Liriano said.

Foster families faced the same challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Liriano said, managing education, entertainment and technology, and childcare.

“Our foster parents are a stone – and they rocked,” said Liriao.

For its part, DCF had to navigate to facilitate family visits and deal with people infected with the virus. Families received one call daily from the agency during the first few months of the pandemic, which was reduced to one call a week or every two weeks as needed.

“When a child with COVID came into care, we might have had a challenge or two,” said Liriano. “But we made sure that every child has a place to sleep, and we succeeded.”

As the pandemic fades in the rearview mirror, its effects have made some families reluctant to turn, according to Thomas Michalski, Senior Program Director at The Village for Families and Children, a Hartford agency that offers foster care for children ages 6-18 gather together who have been exposed to trauma.

With this in mind, The Village hosted a drive-through foster family recognition event on Wednesday, where meals, supplies, and gift bags were provided as a thank you.

“Some of the foster families are older and we understand their reluctance and their desire to stay safe,” Michalski said of the drive through event. “We tried to find creative ways that at least appeal to the majority of our families and show our appreciation. It was an exhausting year for everyone. “

While foster families have been a source of stability, comfort and support for children, The Village switched to online telemedicine and visited children housed outdoors and on porches for the sake of their peace of mind. It increased its on-call duty to meet needs around the clock and gave families PPE and cleaning supplies.

“We always stayed in touch and got involved and asked what they needed,” said Michalski.

But with thousands of children still in the system, DCF continues to recruit foster families.

Michalski emphasized the important education for anyone who wishes to care and the support of the family throughout the child’s stay.

“You are really never alone in this,” he said. “We have families who develop lifelong friendships.”

Liriano said DCF is reaching out to potential foster parents to find homes for teenagers, particularly through virtual open houses, social media and by working with religious organizations.

Connecticut has also joined the Quality Parenting Initiative, a California-based agency that helps organizations like DCF work with foster families and birth families to set clear expectations and ensure children are supported. In addition, the state is implementing a Connecticut Family First plan based on federal law of 2018 to prevent children from being placed in foster care by federally reducing the cost of mental health services, drug abuse treatment, and parenting training refunded at home.

In the end, the goal is to reunite the child with their family.

“We don’t want to separate families. We want to support families, ”said Liriano. “Foster families are about family restoration, and the caregivers or foster parents we are recruiting and looking to join our team are those who believe in family restoration and parenting.”