Pierce County is facing a crisis many of our neighbors never see—but too many of our children live it every single day. Our foster care system is overwhelmed. Caseworkers are scrambling to find safe homes, sometimes searching late into the night. Children are sleeping in offices, being transported hours away, or being split from siblings simply because there are not enough foster homes here in our own community.
We have an abundance of children entering care and far too few homes available at the same time. And the situation is even more challenging when you consider that many of these children come with significant mental health and behavioral needs. These are not bad kids—they are children who have endured trauma, instability and fear. But their needs can be hard for the average foster home to manage without support or training. As a result, the number of homes able and willing to take these children becomes even smaller, leaving them with fewer and fewer placement options.
This isn’t just a Pierce County problem— it’s a statewide struggle. Too many children in care. Too few homes to foster them. Add in mental health and behavioral complexities, and the pool of possible placements shrinks even further. The system is stretched thin and our most vulnerable children are the ones who feel the impact the most.
But the need remains right here in Pierce County. These children are our children—kids who attend our schools, play on our ballfields, stand in our grocery lines and dream the same big dreams as every other child. When they need safety, stability and compassion, they should not have to be shipped miles away simply because no one nearby could take them in.
The truth is simple: we need more foster families. Not perfect families— just willing ones. Families who can open a spare bedroom, a patient heart and a little bit of time. Families who are open to learning, growing and partnering with the support systems designed to help them. Every single home that steps forward creates immediate relief for a child in crisis and for a system that is at its breaking point. Fostering is not always easy, but it is life-changing. Ask anyone who has ever done it: the impact you make, even for a short time, can alter the entire course of a child’s life. Stability helps a child heal. Safety helps a child grow. Love—whether for a week or a year—helps a child believe in tomorrow.
Pierce County has always been a community that shows up for its own. We rally when a neighbor’s house burns. We fill the stands on Friday nights. We raise money when families face loss. That same spirit is needed now more than ever.
So today, I ask you—churches, families, retirees, young couples, empty nesters and everyone who calls Pierce County home—to consider stepping into the role of a foster parent. Your home could be the difference between fear and hope for a child who desperately needs someone to care.
The need is real. The children are here. And they are waiting for us.
Anyone interested in fostering can call 1-877-210-KIDS or visit iamcalledtocare. com
