Question: Any final points that you'd like to make?
John Cummings: We need you and the kids need you! You have the ability to make a difference in the lives of children who have been abused or neglected. Be the change they need.

Question: Where can you find information on the kids in Hamilton County that are waiting for adoption?
John Cummings: Check out www.hcadopt.org. There, you'll find listings of boys, girls and siblings. We even have photos and videos of many of them.

Question: So does the worker identify children for families waiting to adopt?
John Cummings: Some do, but we also encourage families to check adoption Web sites across the country that feature children waiting for adoption. There are several good ones. One of them is www.adoptuskids.org. If you see a child there, and your homestudy is on file with us, you would just contact your caseworker and provide them the information about the child. They'll help you from there. But don't forget about our own! There are more than 200 of them.

Question: How do you go about becoming an adoptive parent?
John Cummings: It's pretty much the same process as becoming a foster parent. 36 hours of training and a completed, approved homestudy. From there, you're able to use your homestudy to be considered as an adoptive parent for any child across Ohio. Or even the country. You get assigned to a family worker, who will help you get your homestudy to the appropriate agency for consideration.

Question: So, you try to get sibling sets adopted as a unit?
John Cummings: Yes. Wherever it's possible. They have grown to depend on each other so much, and it would hurt them to be separated.

Question: Wow. That's a lot. What are their ages?
John Cummings: Most of them are school age. By that, we mean 7, 8 or older, up until age 18. And several sibling sets or two or three children.

Question: We've been talking almost exclusively about foster parenting because there is such a need. Let's finish up the hour with some questions about adoption.
John Cummings: Sounds good. We have about 200 available for adoption.

Question: Once you complete the classes and become licensed, how long will it be until you get a child placed in your home?
John Cummings: That depends on you. When you do the homestudy, you'll complete a child characteristics checklist. This will let us know what behavioral, physical and mental health characteristics you are willing to accept. Children's Services uses that information to determine the best home for a child's needs. So a placement can happen almost immediately once you are licensed, or it can take a little while. It all depends on the characteristics you are willing to accept.

Question: How do I sign up for the classes?
John Cummings: Call us at 632-6366 to start with orientation. Once you complete initial background checks, you'll be invited back for the rest of the classes and you will receive a class schedule at that time.

Question: When does the training take place?
John Cummings: Three options are available: (1) Tuesday and Thursday evening classes, 6-9 p.m., (2) Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., (3) "lightning round," over two weekends, usually offered once a quarter at the Southwest Ohio Regional Training Center in Loveland.

Question: How much training is required to become a foster parent?
John Cummings: The State of Ohio requires 36 hours of training, plus completion and approval of a homestudy to become a licensed foster home. To maintain your license, you need to complete 40 hours of "post-service training" every two years.

Question: Any other ways?
John Cummings: They can also mentor kids through agencies like Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, Omega One, and other children's organizations across Hamilton County.

Question: Are other ways that people can help, if they are not ready to become foster parents right now?
John Cummings: A big need is respite care. Sometimes foster parents need a break. Or they have to go out of town for some reason and the foster child cannot leave. Respite families and homes are a great resource for those times. It's usually a few days vs. full-time foster parenting. The training process, though, is the same.

Question: How long do the children usually stay?
John Cummings: It varies based on the case plans for reunification with parents, or being available for adoption. The average stay in foster care is about three years. Of course, each child is different. And each case is different, so it's important to be prepared to help a child until they can find permanency.

Question: How many children are in your home at one time when you foster?
John Cummings: That's up to you. You can decide how many you are willing to take. Sometimes agencies will limit the number of kids because of the size of your home, availability of rooms, and other factors. On average, most families take one to two at a time to start.

Question: When you are a foster parent, how many kids do you usually get?
John Cummings: If you're talking about over the whole time you are a foster parent, some parents have fostered more than 70 to 100 children during their time as licensed foster parents.

Question: Are you going to be in the community again soon?
John Cummings: Recruiters are very busy in various locations across Hamilton County. Several Kroger stores are allowing us to have an information table setup. We're also working on doing some presentations with places of worship and local community councils. If you know of a group that would like to learn more, you can call us at 632-6366 or e-mail adoption@jfs.hamilton-co.org.

Question: How can you find out about the times and dates of the monthly information sessions?
John Cummings: We highlight them on our Web sites: www.hcadopt.org and www.hcfoster.org. Or you can call us to find out about the next date. Our March session will be Monday, March 9, 6-7 p.m., at 237 William H. Taft Road. Please call 632-6366 to register if you are interested.

Question: How would you suggest that someone learn more about foster parenting in Hamilton County?
John Cummings: There are a couple of options. You can always give us a call at 632-6366 to get an information packet mailed or e-mailed to you. That will cover a lot of basic information about the process, classes, and the homestudy. You can also attend one of our monthly information sessions. It's an hour-long Q/A about the process and covers a little about what it's like to be a foster parent from a parent's perspective.

Question: You've been campaigning for awhile to add foster homes. How's that going?
John Cummings: It's been going well in terms of interest. We're getting a lot of calls asking about the process from classes to homestudy and the time it takes to place kids. We still need many more homes here in Hamilton County. There still are too many children being placed out of the county simply because there is no place locally for them. That creates adjustment problems, difficulty with visits, and even for caseworkers to see them on a regular basis. Not to mention the higher cost -- with gas and other expenses.

Question: How many foster homes does Hamilton County Job and Family Services have?
John Cummings: Right now we have about 250 licensed homes. That's down considerably from just a few years ago when we had nearly 400.

Question: Why the big decline in numbers?
John Cummings: Several things come into play. People adopt children placed in their homes if they are available for adoption. And sometimes that takes them out of the foster care roles. They want to concentrate on their new family. Others may have been fostering for a long time and are ready to "retire" from service. We need good quality people just like the other folks that have stepped up and devoted years to helping Hamilton County's hurting kids.

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