“Children need an advocate for them.”
Former foster parent Allison Ellenwood has fostered for seven years and throughout those years, she says advocacy for foster children is what they desperately need. Ellenwood said she has learned how to advocate for her foster kids as well as the couple of children she’s adopted. 
Ellenwood lives in Lexington County but went through nearby counties when it came to fostering and adopting. She just went where the need was at the time.
According to the latest statistics from the state’s department of social services, there are more than 3,300 children, teens and those in their 20s in foster care with 88 of those in Lexington County. Neighboring county Richland has just under 500 coming in at highest number.
Ellenwood went through DSS for her cases which she says comes with plenty of headaches mostly due to the turnover in case workers. She says one case worker may have 100 kids on his or her caseload.
“If you’re not willing to advocate and deal with changeover and put up with all that (paperwork), go through a private company,” Ellenwood said. “It takes a special kind of dedication to go through that process with DSS. The caseworker turnover is a lot.”
While the process was a bit tumultuous at times, she wouldn’t ever look at fostering as a mistake or something she would change. Having to look after the kids she fostered and the two she eventually adopted was the best part. 
“The kids were the best part,” she said, but there was plenty of researching and advocating she had to do. That doesn’t include the court meetings and lawyer meetings she dealt with. She said the paperwork is “annoying,” although she believes it has changed a little since she fostered. 
Her advice for anybody interested in fostering is to advocate but also learn about trauma issues that most likely will arise, she said.
“Learn how to raise kids with trauma issues,” Ellenwood said, citing trauma involved parenting as a start. Free to low-cost training is available and is quite helpful, especially in her case. Abuse of any sort may be something the child has experienced.
She also said if you’re married, to make sure you and your partner are on the same page because there will be stress. If not married, she encourages a good support system and respite. 
In fact, a good respite system is good for all foster parents, whether married or single. She said the foster parent needs someone trusted who can watch the kid(s) when necessary.
Another foster mom in Lexington County, Alisha Harris, also went through DSS and said advocacy is probably the best piece of advice she would give. 
“Don’t just love the [foster] children in your home, love their entire family,” Harris said. “Advocate not only for the children in your home but their entire family. Walk alongside them, support them, help them with their needs.”
For instance, there may be jobs necessary for the birth parents or something simple like groceries needed.
If the parents are not capable of being able to provide and parent the children, it’s up to the foster parent to advocate for the children for the best possible outcome, she said. 
As for resources provided for foster parents, a stipend and state insurance is provided to cover the basics. There may be more the child needs such as therapy or other medical necessities.
In Ellenwood’s case, she found it necessary to hire a lawyer to help move the process along. She said it had nothing to do with the birth mother but to help with the DSS process.
“Foster parents are expected to do what non-foster parents do but not given the rights to do so,” Ellenwood said.
Ellenwood and Harris both went through the state system but there are private companies who help with fostering and/or adoption. It all depends on the foster parent and his or her specific situation but there are options.
Pinnacle Family Services is one private agency serving the state that helps pair foster parents with foster children. They’ve been in South Carolina for about a year recruiting foster parents, helping with licensing and providing information sessions to potential foster parents among a list of other duties. 
“Nearly 2,000 foster homes are needed in South Carolina,” Mallory Jacobs, Regional Director for Pinnacle Family Services, said. She adds that in Lexington County, there are 93 children in foster care and 501 in Richland County, according to her statistics. She cites Richland and Greenville counties as the highest counties with foster children.
Potential foster parents in Lexington County don’t need to foster in county as they can look to other counties to foster someone. 
“Pinnacle is a part of Health Connect America,” Jacobs said. “We are unique to other agencies because we provide great wraparound services and are preventative not reactive. We don’t want children to go through repetitive trauma.”
She says Pinnacle staff is trained and also check in with foster parents and children regularly. They also have training and a 24/7 hotline available. 
Pinnacle’s requires foster parents to be at least 25 years old and they can be single, retired or married. Allison Williams with Pinnacle Family Services said they do want foster parents to have a babysitter on hand for emergencies who will be background checked.
Foster parents must go through the DSS guidelines and must be able to drive. Williams said outpatient therapy and support groups are also available for foster families. 
She adds that Pinnacle works with an accredited therapeutic agency since trauma may be an issue.
“Most of [the children] have gone through trauma and we tell them ahead of time. If a child is having a hard time, we have a social worker and case manager and a 24-hour phone line,” Williams said.
Williams does point out that there are lots of foster teens and not just children in their system.
Monthly information sessions are available with no commitment a couple of times every month for anyone interested in fostering.