Brian Hagberg
WARREN, Pa. – Within months from one another, Warren County Children and Youth received word from two veteran foster families that after decades of service they felt it was time to retire from fostering.
Paul and Carol Minugh have been foster parents for the agency since 1978 and have fostered approximately 142 children. Bill and Jan Hines have been foster parents since 1989 and have fostered approximately 96. If you ask either set of foster parents they could tell you the name of every single child to have walked through their door.
The retirement reduces not only the total number of homes but the number of families willing to take children of all ages.
“Many families only take young children, for instance,” Warren County Children and Youth Supervisor Patty Wassink said. “So, if a teen needs a foster home and we have openings in four homes but none of them are willing to take a teenager, for that child we have zero homes. Warren County Children and Youth has been lucky to have these families open their hearts and homes to children in need for decades. No matter the hour or situation, neither the Minughs nor the Hines ever declined to take a child into their home.”
The Minughs, nicknamed “the baby whisperers” by CYS, were first on the list when medically fragile children or babies needed a home. When CYS needed to place older children and teens, especially those involved in the juvenile delinquency system, the agency turned to the Hines’.
Now, CYS will have to fill those voids.
“The agency is asking the community for help,” Wassink said. “There is nothing more rewarding than fostering a child.”
There are currently 19 licensed foster homes across Warren County, but only four are currently available to take children.
“(Availability) would depend on the age, gender, etc., of the child we are looking to place,” Wassink said. “We also need homes that will take sibling groups.”
The first step in becoming a licensed foster home is contacting CYS to express interest in beginning the process. The agency will send out an application and medical form, then, once the forms are returned, CYS will schedule training and come to the home for a home study and safety evaluation.
“Forms are for (the applicant) and their spouse or significant other,” Wassink said. “You can also be single and become a foster parent.”
All potential foster parents must get the appropriate clearances as well.
“CYS is seeking individuals and families willing to open their hearts and homes to children, specifically sibling groups and older youth,” Wassink said. “If you have ever wanted the chance to have a positive impact on a child’s life, now is the time.”
For more information, or to begin the application process, contact the CYS foster care department at (814) 726-2100, ext. 8129.
