Family of four

Supporting Child and Family Wellbeing

Author: Social Services
Date: 4/30/2020 3:41:38 PM

The Department of Social Services is calling on our community to open their homes to our local foster youth who, through no fault of their own, are in desperate need of a safe, loving and stable home environment, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.


This is a stressful time for many members of our community. Financial hardships, worries about keeping family members healthy, parents working from home and having to find balance between managing work responsibilities and homeschooling kids…all things that increase stress, which can and does lead to incidents of child abuse.

On average, our County receives 270 referrals to our child abuse reporting hotline each month. These referrals are triaged and when they rise to a level of concern that meets statutory requirements, we investigate them.  When the result of the investigation determines the child cannot safely remain at home, the children are removed from their parents in order to protect them from further abuse. When this happens, we always try to find a relative who can be approved to care for the child; however, if there is no appropriate relative available, we look to our community to open their homes to our community’s children.

The County of San Luis Obispo is currently experiencing a severe shortage of homes who are willing and able to say yes to accepting a new child into their home.

The County of San Luis Obispo’s Department of Social Services is looking for individuals and families willing to provide homes for our youth on both a short term (3-6 months) or long term (6-months or more) basis. In particular, we need homes open to receiving children age 10 and above including teenagers and young adults participating in extended foster care who have lost their on campus housing at their university. We are also in need of homes who may have the ability to quarantine a sick child.

We are calling on our community to step up to care for these youth, who to no fault of their own, are in desperate need of a safe, loving and stable home environment, especially during this pandemic. The Department is committed to providing support and guidance throughout the process. There is financial support, supportive services and staff available to walk you through the process and help you with any questions or needs you may have while caring for a child in your home.

If you can help, please call (805) 781-1705 or visit www.slofostercare.com.

I want to thank and express my deep gratitude to all the resource families currently caring for over 350 of our children, youth and teens in the foster care system. They provide safe, loving, and stable home environments for youth in our community who have experienced trauma in the form of abuse, neglect, and abandonment.  I also want to thank our social workers and the staff supporting our social workers, who continue to put the needs of our community above their own.