Child Placement Services for Children

We believe our foster children deserve safe, permanent, nurturing homes within one year of initial placement. To achieve this, it is vital for every foster child in North Carolina to have one single, stable foster care placement within his own community. The average foster child in North Carolina is 10 years old, and will be in the custody, or placement authority, of a County Department of Social Services for just over 1 year before attaining permanency. During this time he will probably change placements at least 1 time. A statewide effort to reduce the length of stay in foster care has resulted in a 28-month drop since 1982. Each of North Carolina's 100 counties continues to strive towards obtaining permanency for foster children by providing Child Placement Services to children who need temporary homes. These services include:

• Providing temporary homes for children in DSS custody
• Supervising children in foster care
• Providing ongoing counseling and support services to help families and children reunite and stay together
• Providing extra counseling and support for families and foster parents of children who are ill, disabled or delinquent
• Petitioning the court for legal termination of parental rights
• Making recommendations for adoption for children unable to return home
• Recruiting, screening, training potential foster parents, performing home studies, performing local criminal background checks to ensure the safety of potential foster children placed in the home, and recommending licensure of the home.

For more information on placement arrangements please visit our Adoptions or Foster Care Program pages.

If you or someone you know require this service, contact your county Department of Social Services.