On Friday, January 6, new CASA Assistant Director Kelsey Redmon, center, was sworn in by the Honorable Judge Brett Spencer. Along side is Adams/Scioto CASA Director Cortney Brumley. (Photo provided)
Connection is key to success
By Sherry Larson
People’s Defender
“To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that one life has breathed easier because you lived here. This is to have succeeded.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson). Veronica Grooms, Adams County Court Administrator, and Ashley McCarty, Adams County Community Coordinator, worked vigorously to present the county with the All-In Foster Care Summit in October 2022. They want foster and kinship families to know that you don’t have to strive for success alone.
Grooms reported, “CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) is growing. We’ve sworn in five, and seven more will start training. The court hired Kelsey Redmon, formerly with Adams County Children Services as the new CASA supervisor. Ohio CAN met with me, Judge Spencer, and Ashley; they have services for kinship families.”
Coming from a home where my parents fostered children before I was born and after I left home, I’ve witnessed firsthand the dedication, patience, and commitment it takes to be a foster or kinship family. These exceptional families must train, plan, and prepare to provide for the needs of the children they serve.
Many foster and kinship families could use an extra hand or a little help, but it may be uncomfortable to ask for or accept assistance from others. If you’re one such family in Adams or a neighboring county, McCarty and Grooms encourage you to let them connect you with the care and services that will assist you in this rewarding and sometimes challenging journey.
Partnering with the Coalition of Care from Cincinnati, Ohio, Adams County is forming care communities with teams from local churches. The team members are carefully vetted and background-checked so you can feel secure. McCarty shared, “We’re being very thorough about the process.”
Foster and kinship families can request meal preparation/delivery, lawn care, laundry services, respite care, errand running, house cleaning, transportation, and more. The care team members are available, trained, and willing to help.
If you are one of these families, McCarty and Grooms realize you are doing all the above and much more on your own. So, if you’re wondering why assistance is available now – the answer is “when we know better, we do better.” McCarty shared, “Statistically, 50% of foster families stop fostering after the first year, increasing to 80% after the second year due to feelings of isolation, frustration, and lack of support.” There must be a better way.
You’ve opened your homes and, more importantly, your hearts to include a child in need of shelter and support. People are in place to come alongside and assist you in your efforts. McCarty needs to know the families in the community who can join in this unique partnership. Grooms said, “The problem is we don’t have access to the kinship families. We don’t know all the foster or kinship families.” McCarty piggybacks, “We are here – there is support. Please reach out to us.”
Contact McCarty at (937) 971-3317 and make yourself known. Make a service request, no matter how big or small. This opportunity is so much more than doing a service for foster and kinship families; it’s care and connection that enables the fostering of not only children but life-changing relationships. Producing a positive impact in a child’s life is a tremendous success and serving that child as a community enhances their life and ours.
