But first I want to reiterate the need for more foster parents in Alaska. Very simply, there are still too many children living in harm s way they need stable, loving, caring homes. We are taking more children into custody because of our tough new child protection law. And because we have additional resources in the field social workers, troopers and attorneys to investigate reports of harm against children. Foster homes provide children a safe place to live until they can be reunited with their families or until they are adopted permanently by another family.
Some children stay in foster care for a few days or weeks but some stay for years.
This year, the number of children living in foster homes is up 10 percent to nearly 1,040 children. There are about 1,000 foster homes in Alaska and that sounds like enough. But it s not. Many foster parents are only in the business for a brief time to take care of a relative or a family friend. And there are serious shortages in some areas of the state.