Porter-Leath is seeking foster parents who can provide safe and loving homes for children from unstable environments. Children qualify for foster care when they have been removed from their home due to neglect, abuse, homelessness or other challenges.
Currently, there are over 8,800 children in Tennessee’s foster care system – 1,100 of which are here in Shelby County. Foster parents can help children maintain vital connections and often keep sibling groups together. The greatest need is with teenagers.
“Foster parents can provide stability during difficult times in children’s lives,” said Porter-Leath’s President, Sean Lee. “We need more individuals and families who are willing to open their homes and provide Shelby County children the care and safety they need to thrive.”
Since its inception in 1850, Porter-Leath has cared for children without stable families, while continually broadening its programs to fill the community’s needs. The primary goals of Porter-Leath’s foster care program are children’s health, safety, and permanency achieved through either reunification with biological family or adoption.
Once an applicant has been approved, they will complete TN KEY (Knowledge Empowers You). KEY is Porter-Leath’s training program to help meet the needs of foster children, understand their feelings of loss, and identify parenting strategies for success. To learn more about how to become a Porter-Leath foster parent, please contact Lisa Arnold by calling (901) 577-2500 ext. 1179.