Greensboro, NC, April 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kids’s Dwelling Society of North Carolina (CHS) has launched a brand new white paper, Understanding Motivators and Boundaries to Foster Parenting, providing contemporary perception into a vital problem in youngster welfare: why many households who specific curiosity in fostering by no means take the following step.
Performed in partnership with Eastcoast Analysis and supported by the Winston-Salem Basis, the examine gathered suggestions from residents in central North Carolina, primarily in Forsyth County. The findings present that whereas curiosity in foster parenting is excessive, households usually tend to transfer ahead after they have info, really feel supported, and perceive what to anticipate all through the method.
“Families across North Carolina care deeply about children in foster care and want to help,” mentioned Becky Alley, Chief Advertising Officer at CHS. “What this research helps us understand is where families get stuck and how we can better support them through clarity, consistency, and connection.
Key Findings from the White Paper
The study found that:
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Nearly three-quarters of respondents said fostering could be a possibility in their future, and 39% expressed direct interest in becoming foster parents. Motivations to foster are overwhelmingly values-driven, including making a difference in a child’s life, mentorship, and giving back to the community. Financial concerns, confusion about the licensing process, emotional readiness, and misinformation are the most common reasons families hesitate to move forward. Families place the highest value on clear communication, strong agency reputation, mentorship, and 24/7 support when choosing a foster care agency.
“These findings challenge a common assumption,” Alley mentioned. “It’s not that famiolie4s don’t want to foster. It’s that many don’t feel fully prepared or supported to take the next step. Our responsibility as foster care agencies is to meet families with transparency, simplify the process, and show them they will not be doing this alone.”
The white paper outlines a sensible, research-informed framework to assist youngster welfare businesses convert curiosity into licensed foster properties by strengthening help for households from preliminary inquiry by way of licensure and into ongoing foster care.
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Individuals constantly expressed a want for:
Clear, step-by-step explanations of the licensing course of Trustworthy conversations about monetary help and expectations Actual tales from foster dad and mom that mirror the total expertise Seen, ongoing help as soon as a baby is positioned
“When families feel informed, supported, and connected, they are far more likely to move forward,” Alley mentioned. “This reinforces what we see every day in our work at CHS: trust is built through relationships, and those relationships help families open their homes to children who need them most.”
CHS hopes the findings is not going to solely inform its personal efforts however additionally strengthen foster mother or father recruitment throughout North Carolina and serve as a useful resource for youngster welfare businesses, group companions, and advocates statewide and past.
“Every child deserves a safe, stable home,” Alley mentioned. “By addressing myths, reducing fear, and making foster care feel possible for everyday families, we can expand the pool of loving homes and create better outcomes for children and families across our state.”
Be taught extra in regards to the outcomes and think about the total white paper at CHSNC.org.
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About Kids’s Dwelling Society of North Carolina
Kids’s Dwelling Society of North Carolina (CHS) works to advertise the precise of each youngster to protected, everlasting, and loving household by strengthening households and communities throughout North Carolina. CHS offers adoption, foster care, household preservation, parenting help, and youth providers. A trusted associate for greater than 120 years, CHS advances youngster and household well-being statewide. Be taught extra at CHSNC.org.
Becky Alley, Chief Advertising Officer
Understanding Motivators and Boundaries to Foster Parenting
