The Israeli foster care establishment is stretched to its limits, as groups homes are becoming scarce, and some of those which are up and running are in danger of being shut down.
The foster service cares for children orphaned by terror attacks and car accidents, or those removed from their home due to severe abuse. The group homes are a unique form of care, meant to teach children who have been deprived of their natural surroundings what a loving family feels like.
The group homes are run by the Or Shalom association, and are supervised by the Ministry of Social Affairs. Each of these group homes has an everyday family – two parents and their biological children – who foster several children entrusted to social services.
For the foster parents, running a group home is also a full time job, as one parent must be present in the home as any given time. According to the existing protocol, foster families cannot take in children for more than five years at a time, leading up to a serious problem: In the next few moths, five group homes are scheduled to end their five-year care and with the absence of new group homes, dozens of children may suddenly find themselves uprooted and virtually homeless.
Meirav Dadya-Molad, deputy director-general of Or Shalom, is currently in the midst of an urgent search for couples who would be willing to become foster parents. "It's hard work, rewording as it may be," she said. "The children who come through here are regular children, who had to be removed from their homes for objective reasons, like abuse or neglect.
"This is a labor of love of a different, special kind. You don't have to possess any special skills; you just have to be honest and loving."
Couple who wish to apply to be foster parents can contact Or Shalom at 972-35293733
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