MAYVILLE, N.Y.: - The Chautauqua County Department of Health and Human Services Home Finding Team will host a Foster Parent Open House on Thursday, July 28, 2022. For convenience, the Department will offer an in-person session and a virtual session. The in-person session will take place from 5 - 6 p.m. at the Cassadaga campus of Park United Methodist Church located at 25 Maple Ave. in Cassadaga, N.Y. The virtual session will take place from 7 - 8 p.m.
If you enjoy working with children and want to help families in our community, consider attending one of these events. Attendees will learn about various foster care and adoption programs and meet our Home Finding Team. Events are free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required.
Foster Care services in Chautauqua County provide out-of-home care for children in the custody of the Commissioner of Social Services. Foster care plays an important role in providing temporary, safe and nurturing homes to children when their parents are unable to care for them. Children are placed in foster homes in situations where they have been removed from their own families because they have been abused and/or neglected or because other family problems exist that endanger their safety. The children may range from infancy through 18 years of age and may have special medical, physical or emotional needs; the children may belong to any ethnicity or race and be part of a group of brothers and sisters who need to remain together.
“In Chautauqua County, there are approximately 100 children currently in foster care,” said Leanna Luka-Conley, Deputy Commissioner of Children and Family Services. “Becoming a foster parent is a rewarding and challenging opportunity to change someone’s life. Children of all ages in our own communities are in need of ‘professional parents’ to give them a good, temporary home and a chance to succeed in life.”
If you are interested in more information regarding the programs and would like to register for one of these virtual events or have questions about becoming a foster parent, please contact Sara Johnson by calling 716-661-8043 or email johnsons@chqgov.com. You can also visit our website at www.chqhhs.com.
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