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Foster families deserve praise for service

Trumbull County Children Services Board this evening will host its annual Foster Caregiver Recognition Dinner in Niles.

As it is so aptly named, the event recognizes foster families who open their hearts and homes to children who are overcoming obstacles many of us never will face.

Among those challenges are dealing with the opiate crisis that has affected their parents and left many children in foster care.

In the last two years, Trumbull County CSB reports a 40 percent increase in children in care, largely due to the opiate crisis.

Children living with addicted parents can experience negative cognitive, emotional and physical issues, said Tim Schaffner, executive director of Trumbull County Children Services.

That leaves Trumbull County’s foster parents to rise up as the unsung heroes of the ongoing opiate crisis. They answer calls in the middle of the night to, in a moment’s notice, take in a child who has experienced the trauma of a family member’s addiction.

Of course, that’s not the only reason kids come into foster care. There are, in fact, a variety of reasons, and foster parents must stand ready to handle a child’s physical, emotional and social needs.

We salute Trumbull County’s foster families and the outstanding work they do.

Trumbull County Children Services has a mission of building stronger families, and without the unwavering support of our foster parents, this mission would not be possible.

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