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FYPH wants to help younger foster children

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

Fayette Youth Protection Homes has closed one of its two group homes for abused and neglected children, as its board is studying how to serve the increasing number of kids under 6 that are being taken into custody by the Department of Family and Children Services.

With the closing of the Friday home in north Fayette, FYPH still has room for 10 foster children at the newly-renamed Friday-Johnson Home in south Fayette, said FYPH Executive Director Becky Davenport.

Currently, FYPH is only licensed by the state to assist children 6 and older. But more and more younger children are being taken into custody and need homes, so the FYPH board is looking at several options to serve that particular age group, Davenport said.

One option is to start a privatized foster care support network, which would provide additional pay and support for foster parents above and beyond what DFCS can offer, Davenport said.

In addition to training for parents, counseling could be offered for the children under such a system, Davenport said. A “group home” is not the ideal place for young children, because they have a greater need for a traditional home environment, she added.

The other option being looked into is creating a short-term emergency shelter for kids under six, Davenport said. Although those foster children could only be kept for up to 90 days, that would buy time to help find the right foster family for them, Davenport said.

“There has to be a better way to serve these kids who aren’t being served,” Davenport said.

So although FYPH is shrinking its overall number of “beds” by leaving the Friday home, they are not reducing their offering to the community, Davenport said. In fact, both the Friday and Johnson homes combined have had a total of less than 10 kids for quite some time, so it only made sense to consolidate the homes, she added.

“We’re taking care of the same number of children,” Davenport said.

Children currently in FYPH’s care have moved back into the Friday-Johnson home, which has been extensively redecorated and remodeled. New hardwood floors, fresh paint, new furniture and gorgeous murals provide a more loving environment for the children, Davenport said.

The effort was made possible with the help of many local businesses and others such as Brent Scarbrough and Linda Hannon. Local interior designer Jamie Georgia created the murals.

“People in the community really came forward to help us a lot,” Davenport said. “... The kids there are living in a home that looks not like a group home, but a home home.”

The Friday home is now up for sale and the board is exploring its options, Davenport said.