Increase in foster care expected following COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everyone's day-to-day lives, but the Kansas City area's most vulnerable kids may be having the toughest time.

TFI Family Services in Overland Park, Kansas, is recruiting foster parents.

FOSTER ORGANIZATIONSIN OUR AREA AREPREPARING FOR A SPIKE INFOSTER CAREPLACEMENTS AFTER THEPANDEMIC SLOWS DOWN.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER MCKENZIENELSON EXPLAINS WHY.MCKENZIE NELSON - REPORTINGTHE PANDEMIC HASCHANGED EVERYONE'SDAY-TO-DAY LIVES - BUTFOR THE METRO AREASMOST VULNERABLE KIDS -THEY MAY BE HAVING THETOUGHEST TIME.LIBBY HAYDEN - COMMUNITYLEISON COORDINATOR, TFIFAMILY SERVICES"If you love kids and you wantto see them have a safeplace, than this is what youneed to do."LIBBY HAYDEN WITH T-F-IFAMILY SERVICES INOverland Park ISRECRUITING FOSTERPARENTS.HAYD"There's always a need, evenbefore the pandemic therewas a need.

I think we justhave a greater need now."ONCE THE COVID-19PANDEMIC ENDS, HAYDENSAYS AGENCIES LIKE T-F-IARE EXPECTING ANINCREASE IN FOSTERCARE PLACEMENT.DIFFICULT TIMES - LIKENOW - ARE WHAT SHESAYS SPARK DOMESTICVIOLENCE AND CHILDABUSE.HAYDEN"I think that's why we're goingto see a rise when this allcomes to an end, we'llprobably see a lot of kidsbecause they're not seeingthose people that are keepingan eye out for them."IN THE STATE OF KANSAS -THERE'S OVER 7,500 KIDTHAT NEED A FOSTERHOME AND LESS THAN2,500 AVAILABLE.KORBY LATHROP IS AFAIRLY NEW FOSTERPARENT - TACKLINGDIFFICULT TIMES WITH HER7 YEAR OLD FOSTER SON.KORBY LATHROP -FOSTERPARENT"One of the challenges for mycurrent foster son is that aspart of COVID-19, his visitswith his siblings and with hisfamily have been transitionedto zoom calls."VISITS HAVE CHANGED,RECRUITING HASCHANGED, AND IN PERSONFOSTER PARENT COURSESARE NOW VIRTUAL.WHILE LIFE MAY SEEM LIKEIT'S BEEN PUT ON PAUSE -CHALLENGES FOR FOSTERCHILDREN HAVEN'TSTOPPED.T-F-I HOPES FAMILIES WILLHELP.HAYDEN"We're all after the same goaland that goal is that these kidshave a safe place to go andsomebody that will care aboutthem and hopefully help theirfamilies get put back togetherand heal."IN Overland Park, MCKENZ