DHR seeking foster families

By Staff
Kim West
Paul and Christy Hulsey hadn't planned on becoming foster parents, but they are now among a minority in Franklin County, which has only 12 foster families.
The Hulseys, who live in Russellville, have a 21-year-old son headed off to Marines basic training next month, a 19-year-old son already stationed with the Marines in Kentucky and a daughter, 12, a seventh-grader at Belgreen High School. Nearly two years ago, the Hulsey household nearly doubled after the addition of four foster children – three boys, ages six, 11 and 12, and one 3-year-old girl, who are all siblings.
"We became foster parents kind of by accident," said Hulsey, a Baptist minister and stay-at-home father whose wife works full-time in the insurance department at Russellville Hospital. "It began by mentoring a family that needed help and had six children, and now we have four of them.
"When we first got into it, it was foster-anything – it was to help a family get back on their feet, but the Lord led us into (becoming a foster family)."
Hulsey said despite his family's attachment to their foster children, the ultimate goal is to reunite them with their family.
"The foster program is designed to give these parents who are in need the time to better themselves so they can be re-united with their children,' said Hulsey, who is president of the Franklin County Foster Parents and Adoptive Parents Association, a support group that provides Christmas stockings for local foster children. "You get attached, but you have to remember that they're not your children."
Sally Clark, a case worker for the Franklin County Department of Human Resources, said there is growing need for local foster families of all backgrounds. There are currently 36 children in the protective custody of the Franklin County DHR, but nearly half of them have been placed with families outside of the county due to the lack of local foster families.
"We only have 12 foster homes in this county, and we need as many as we can get," said Clark, who is on call 24 hours per day. "We currently have 17 kids placed out of the county, and we even have some placed as far south as Baldwin County.
"We also have a need for respite foster care, which is when we need a temporary foster home – sometimes we need to place a child in a home for only 24 hours, and sometimes we need to provide respite for foster parents who have a family emergency or illness."
Clark said basic requirements for foster families include a background check, medical clearance, home evaluation and the completion of free mandatory Group, Preparation and Selection (GPS) classes, which last two hours and are taught at the DHR on Monday evenings. The next GPS orientation is Monday, April 13. A foster parent must be at least 19 years old and his or her home must meet the requirements of the Alabama Minimum Standards for Foster Family Homes manual, which is available at the DHR at no charge.
For more information, contact Clark at 331-5900 or visit www.dhr.alabama.gov.