Harney County needs families to foster children of all ages. Safe and supportive foster parents are desperately needed in Harney County.

Michelle Bradach, social service specialist at the Department of Human Services (DHS), is the certifier for Harney County, and she is reaching out to members of this community to become foster parents.

“We are hoping to hear from those folks who have ever entertained the idea of becoming a foster parent,” she said.

Bradach added that she would love to meet with potential foster parents and provide all the information required to help make the decision.

“The big thing is just opening your home to us, so that we can get to know you, do a home walk through,” she explained.

The questionnaires are very in depth and can sometimes seem a bit invasive. However, they are designed to ensure a safe and stable home for the foster kids.

People wanting to become foster parents sometimes do not apply for various reasons (their house is not big enough, or they have criminal or child welfare history). One requirement is that they are employed. Someone in the household must me earning money besides the DHS compensation payment.

Bradach said, “I have heard people say, ‘Foster parents just do it because they get paid. They can live off these kids.’ That is just not true. They cannot.”

While there are some reasons to not consider becoming a foster parent, the reasons to become a foster parent far and away outnumber the reasons to not be a foster parent. The DHS will be more than happy to walk you through the vetting process and help you make the decision on becoming a foster parent. The process can be invasive, but with the help of Bradach’s expertise, an informed decision can be made.

New foster homes are desperately needed in Harney County, and the DHS would like to see a greater variety of homes.

“I would love to see more single-parent homes, couples, older, and younger foster parents, and folks from different cultural backgrounds. The DHS is looking for foster parents from all different walks of life,” Bradach said.

Harney County is part of District 14, which includes Grant and Malheur counties. Harney County presently has 19 foster homes with 27 kids placed at this time. There are 176 foster homes in District 14. These are all Certified Foster Care Homes that are relative and nonrelative homes. District 14 also has 83 other facilities (trial reunification, pre-adoptive homes, independent living, residential treatment facilities and homes, group homes, and hospitalization.)

Penny Peasley of Harney County has been fostering for a couple of years now, and she said, “Foster parenting has helped us, and our kids, realize how truly blessed we are. What better way to show our gratitude for that than to share it with kids who need parenting? The things that we take for granted are huge for our foster child. Just sharing our life and blessings brings tremendous joy to our lives.”

Peasley added, “There are frustrations, but in the end, it is well worth it. We believe we have built an exceptionally good life for our kids, and foster parenting has helped us do so. You must take the good with the bad, but we feel the positives far outweigh the negatives. Having the right mindset makes the process enjoyable. Our experience makes us want to continue as foster parents.”

Anyone who is interested in learning more about becoming a foster parent, or just wanting to ask questions, should call Michelle Bradach at the Oregon Department of Human Services at 541-709-8421 or visit the department’s website at https://everychildoregon.org/foster-care.