Governor Bill Lee proclaimed May as “Foster Care Month” in Tennessee.
“This ‘Foster Care Month,’ we recognize the 5,000 Tennessee families who open their hearts and hands to children in need,” Lee said in a statement. “We have an obligation to ensure that every child has a loving, permanent home, and I thank Commissioner Quin and the General Assembly for partnering to deliver important support to children and families.”
This ‘Foster Care Month’, we recognize the 5,000 TN families who open their hearts & hands to children in need.
Every child deserves a loving, permanent home, & I thank Commissioner Quin & the General Assembly for partnering to deliver important support to children & families. pic.twitter.com/1s8lsDAm27
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) May 1, 2023
The governor’s proclamation comes just days after he signed the Forever Homes Act into law, which streamlines the adoption process in Tennessee.
The law, according to the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (TNDCS), “provides support to foster and adoptive families and accelerate child placement, namely allowing for a judicial waiver to speed adoption finalization from six to three months if a court sees fit, providing foster parents with a respite period of up to six months without losing their standing as a foster home, and extending care services for expectant mothers.”
The Forever Homes Act supports foster & adoptive families allowing for a judicial waiver to speed adoption finalization if a court sees fit, providing foster parents with a respite period of up to six months without losing standing, and extends care services for expectant mothers pic.twitter.com/5fHDTesAox
— TN DCS (@TN_DCS) April 25, 2023
In addition, to mark “Foster Care Month,” Lee championed his partnership with the Tennessee General Assembly to dedicate nearly $600 million in funding to accelerate child placement and support foster and adoptive families in the Volunteer State.
The $600 million includes $190.3 million for the Tennessee Strong Families initiative, $168.4 million for TNDCS, and $215.8 million for the state’s Child Care Benefits program to provide assistance for child care services in programs such as foster care, Families First, child protective services and more.
There are more than 8,300 children currently in foster care in Tennessee, according to TNDCS.
Throughout “Foster Care Month,” Governor Lee is calling on Tennesseans to “give back by supporting foster children and families in their local communities” by donating items, volunteering time, and learning more about opportunities to foster or adopt children in need.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Governor Bill Lee” by TN DCS.
