Ross Gallabrese IMPORTANCE OF FOSTER PARENTS — Janelle Miller, foster coordinator for the Jefferson County Department of Job and Family Services, talked about the importance of foster families with members of the Steubenville Kiwanis Club.

STEUBENVILLE — Members of the Steubenville Kiwanis Club on Tuesday thanked area residents who have answered a special calling.

The club hosted foster parents from around Jefferson County during its weekly luncheon meeting at the Sycamore Center.

“We are celebrating foster parents,” explained Janelle Miller, foster coordinator for the Jefferson County Department of Job and Family Services. “It’s important to make sure that they have support from our agency and the community and that we recognize everything they do for the children in their care.”

Currently, there are six foster homes in Jefferson County, Miller said, but the need is much greater.

“It is far, far greater,” Miller said. “It’s really important that we build it back up so we don’t have to place the kids in other counties. We would like to keep them local, in their communities and in their schools. It’s important to keep them in the surroundings that they know because it helps to reduce the trauma.”

To help expand that roster, the Department of Job and Family Services is joining with the Jefferson County Resource Network to present a foster parent recruitment event.

Scheduled for 6 p.m. May 28 at the Schiappa Branch of the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County, the event will cover the steps to becoming a foster parent, offer details about available support and discuss why the need is urgent.

“This will be an opportunity for families that might be interested to come and have their questions answered,” explained Beth Rupert-Warren, director of the resource network. “It will be a really relaxed event and will, hopefully, help us recruit families.”

Among the foster families who attended Tuesday’s Kiwanis meeting were Katie and David Householder of Hammondsville.

David Householder said they have been involved in the foster program for the last 15 months.

He said it was an easy decision to make.

“It stems from all the way back to when I was a young boy and I lost my dad — he had cancer,” Householder said. “A lot of the men and older gentlemen in the community stepped up to help me out. It really meant a lot to me, and I wanted to give back. Then I met a woman who supported that as well, and we had the same vision for the future. We were in a position to help kids, so we said, let’s do it.”

He said patience is a big part of being a foster parent, adding there are days that can be trying. The overall experience, he said, has been rewarding.

Miller agreed.

“Thank you for opening your hearts and homes for children in need,” she said. “Your kindness, patience and unconditional support create safe places for our children. The love that you give might not always be seen immediately, but the impact you make lasts a lifetime.

“You step into difficult moments with compassion, offering stability, encouragement and care when it is needed the most,” she added. “Because of you, children feel valued, protected and are reminded that they matter in times when they feel that they don’t.”

Rupert-Warren shared perspectives from her own experiences as a foster parent, offering a reminder that there is a support system in place in Jefferson County.

“I can always remember a lot of times foster children would come into our home under difficult circumstances,” she said. “You don’t always understand it until you live it. There are so many moving parts to being a foster parent. You are part of a team — you are part of a family, not just that child. The goal is reunification. That is very difficult at times. Again, you are part of that team, and it can be very challenging.

“As a part of the community, I want you to know that the community is here for you,” she added. “We are working, all of us together as a community.”

One of the resources she pointed to was the Caregiver Cafe, held from 6-8 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Jefferson County Board of Developmental Disabilities on John Scott Highway.

Run by the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development for Kids, it is designed for families involved with foster care, adoptive care and kinship care.

Rupert-Warren said the evenings offer an opportunity for children and parents to build relationships with one another. The program has been so successful that it is now in its third location, having outgrown the first two.

Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla Jr. thanked the foster families for their efforts, calling what they do vital. He also said everyone has a responsibility to help protect children.

“If you hear or see anything that you think we should show up and knock on the door about, call us,” he said. “For every child we have a chance to help, how many are we missing? I’ve talked with resource officers and reminded them to be vigilant with the kids who are coming to school, but as my dad (the late Sheriff Fred Abdalla) always used to say, ‘Kids don’t pick the way they live.’ If a parent wants to live that way and not do the right thing by their child, that’s up to the parent — we need to step in and do what’s right for the kids. They don’t have a choice.”

Evan Conn performed several musical selections during the meeting.

Area residents interested in information about the May 28 recruitment event can contact Miller at Janelle.Miller@jfs.ohio.gov

or by phone at (740) 792-1905.

Providing support for the event are the Jefferson County Prevention and Recovery Board, COAD for Kids, the Jefferson County Juvenile Court, the Jefferson County Educational Service Center, A Caring Place Child Advocacy Center, the Jefferson County Board of Developmental Disabilities, the AIM Women’s Center, the Sycamore Center and the Jefferson County General Health District.