Film screening highlights demand for foster parents in Forsyth County

Forsyth County and Crossnore Communities for Children will host a free screening of The Sound of Hope, which portrays the story of a Texas congregation that came together to adopt 77 children.

There are currently around 230 kids in Forsyth County who have had to be removed from their homes and placed in some form of foster care. Organizers of the screening hope viewers leave the movie thinking about ways to help them. 

This is according to Sarah Norris, chief program officer at Crossnore, which works to find safe living conditions for those in the foster system or those at risk of entering it. 

A growing need

For nearly a decade, Norris said, the number of kids in need of these services has been increasing in the county. This has led to difficulties in finding appropriate placement for children. 

“We also unfortunately at times have kids who are unable to have a placement because of the lack of placements or the situation at hand,” Norris said. “Social workers have at times had to take care of kids where they’ve been sleeping in offices or they’re trying to find a placement.”

Christa Smith, director of the county’s Department of Social Services, said since the COVID-19 pandemic the number of foster homes available has dropped in the county. 

“Prior to COVID, Forsyth County Department of Social Services had between 50 to 75 foster homes at any given time,” Smith said. 

According to her, that’s no longer the case and earlier this year, the number of foster homes in the county reached a low point.

“We were at a point where we had about 16 licensed foster homes,” Smith said. “Now we’re over 20, but we are really in a space where that is a huge need so that we can keep children here local to their community.”

Crossnore has also developed a foster parent model that has introduced 11 new foster homes since 2021. The county has implemented similar programs with the help of the state. 

The Sound of Hope

For families interested in learning more about foster care, Crossnore and the department of social services will host a panel discussion featuring Norris and Smith after the showing of Sound of Hope. 

The screening will start at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 18, at a/perture Cinema at 311 W 4th St. in Winston-Salem. 

Registration is required. For more details visit the Forsyth County Website. 

Santiago Ochoa covers healthcare for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. Follow him on X: @santi8a98