David and Nikki Church have opened their Union County home to foster up to three children. The couple joins a wave of new families responding to a shortage of licensed foster homes, WSOC-TV first reported on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

The Churches have completed training and home inspections, though WSOC-TV's report also described them as "almost ready," suggesting final licensure steps may remain. They began the process last spring after infertility led them to consider other paths to parenthood. The couple has been married 16 years.

Their home can accommodate a sibling group of three, keeping brothers and sisters together instead of placing them separately.

For Nikki Church, the decision is personal. She was once removed from her own home as a child.

"I do remember it was very scary … I remember not being able to see my parents at the time," Nikki told WSOC-TV reporter Gina Esposito.

She said she wants to give children something she did not have in that moment. The couple said they are also open to adoption if the opportunity arises, though the primary goal of fostering is reunification with parents.

A county in need

The need is urgent. A Union County press release from April stated that approximately 155 children were in foster care with only 45 licensed foster families available. In 2024, the county received an average of 160 child abuse reports each month, the press release said.

Ashley Lantz, director of Union County Social Services, told WSOC-TV that 18 community members completed foster parent training after an earlier report on the shortage aired. If all of those trainees become licensed, the county would have a total of 57 foster families.

The shortage extends across North Carolina. Kimaree Sanders, section chief for the regulatory and licensing division at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), told WSOC-TV that more than 10,000 children are in foster care statewide with only about 5,500 foster parents. Sanders said some children end up housed in social services offices or emergency departments because no placement is available.

Relatives are the first option for placement, but that works in only about a fourth of North Carolina cases, according to the WSOC-TV report.

County recruitment push

Union County has been actively recruiting foster families through its "Foster the Future" campaign. The effort, run in partnership with Union County Social Services and the public communications office, won a second-place NC3C Excellence in Communications Award, according to a county press release from April 24.

County social workers are also stretched thin. A statewide workload study recommends one social worker for every eight cases. Union County operates at a ratio of one to 11, the county said in its April press release.

How to get involved

Residents interested in becoming foster parents can contact Union County Social Services or attend a virtual information session listed on the county's foster care page.

Upcoming: Union County Social Services hosts virtual foster parent information sessions on a rolling basis. Check the county's foster care page for the next scheduled date.