Throughout the year, WBOY features children in West Virginia looking for their forever family. Employees at the Barbour County Family Resource Network work to find kids a foster family.
“We have to do a report and on that report the number that was given to me was 20,” said Barbour County Family Resource Network Director Linda Watson. 20 kids that were moved out of the county. And to me, that just seemed like a big sad number.”
For Linda Watson, 20 kids without homes is a problem she works to fix.
“Whenever I know we could accommodate those children, and statistically I know those kids would do better if they were kept in the community, than if they were moved around,” said Watson.
So at the end of January, Watson took to Facebook, hoping to rally the community to help.
“I didn’t anticipate the number of people that were interested,” said Watson. “If you read my Facebook page, you know I am always upset about something. Because until all of our children and families are 100 percent cared for every way they need to be, there are needs and issues.”
The Facebook post received 66 shares.
“Many of it was positive,” said Watson. “I received a lot of private messages and what they were asking was ‘How do I get involved? How do I become a foster parent?'”
Watson said she’s always ready to respond to those questions.
“Training that’s involved,” said Watson. “A lot, well 30 hours which is not that much. And then you have to be able to pass a criminal background check and you have to be again financially stable.”
The goal: to keep all 20 kids in Barbour County.
“Same school system,” said Watson. “The same church. They may be able to continue on with the same sports team or Boy Scouts or 4-H.”
Watson said with the overwhelming response, she’s confident homes will open up.
“If we get one new foster home out of this, I’m going to be ecstatic,” said Watson. “Think we did our jobs.”
