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July 3, 2009

Project Pinwheel to raise foster care awareness

By RENEE FITE



Amid the Fourth of July fireworks displays, 65 pinwheels spin in the wind in front of Reasor’s.

Each pinwheel represents a child in a foster care home in Cherokee county.

Project Pinwheel will be on display July 2-6, but foster care homes are always a need, said Amber Preble, resource specialist with the Department of Human Services and project coordinator.

“The number of children in out-of-home care in Cherokee county varies month to month,” Preble said. “The purpose of Project Pinwheel is to draw attention to how many children are in need of foster care homes.”

Those 65 kids are placed right now, she said, but they want to help people be aware of how much need there is.

“There were 76 a month ago,” she said.

It’s not unusual for children to be placed out of county, she said.

Project Pinwheel is making its first appearance in Tahlequah Thursday, but it’s part of a national initiative Preble worked on in Washington county.

The effort is geared toward raising awareness for the growing number of children currently in foster care throughout the U.S., she said.

“I thought it’s a really good way to give them a visual of how many children have to be removed from their counties.”

Who would make good Foster Care parents?

“Anyone who has the time and love to give to a child and is willing to make the effort to meet the qualifications of DHS,” she said. “They have to pass a criminal background check, attend 27 hours of foster parent training and participate in a resource family assessment.”

Another priority are families that are willing to work with and mentor the biological families, she said.

“It really shows the biological families the foster families are working with them, not against them, for reunification,” Preble said. “Reuniting the child into the family is our priority, but it’s a case by case basis.”

Those interested in opening their home and hearts can contact Amber Preble at DHS at (918) 207-4500.

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