KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — May is National Foster Care Month, and right now about 800 kids in Knox County are in foster care.
Susan Sharp, who works with Camelot Care Centers of Tennessee, said they've seen an increase in the number of calls to the child abuse hotline.
On top of that, they don't have nearly enough foster families to keep up with the higher number of calls. There is a dire need for new families, and she said these issues were made worse by the pandemic.
"Kids who are in foster care are not there because of anything that they did. Kids coming into foster care are there because the adults in their lives didn't do what they were supposed to do, and as a result, those kids ended up in sometimes dangerous situations," she said.
To be a foster parent, you have to be at least 25 years old, pass a background check and have stable housing and transportation.
Sharp said people can take all the necessary classes right now online.
If you aren't interested in fostering children, there are other ways you can help.
Sharp said you can invite groups like Camelot to speak at organizations you're a part of.
"You may not be interested in being a full-time foster parent, even if you want to help, but there's somebody you could connect us with that is ready to make that step," she said.
Another option is to be a respite foster home -- which supports other foster families by taking care of children a few days a month.
You can learn more at this link.