INDIANAPOLIS — RTV6 took an inside look at the journey to becoming foster parents and the challenges the Department of Child Services is facing.
Currently, there are 14,000 children in the Indiana Foster Care system.
Those who are willing and eager to open their homes to these children say they're surprised and quite frankly frustrated how long it takes actually to get approved as foster parents.
And one couple is desperate to add to their family. The newsroom sat down with them to see what this process has been like when trying to get approved for fostering.
"We have a four-and-a-half-year-old named Maxwell. He is amazing. He's funny; he's kind."
Michael Nichols and Wade Johnson want to become foster parents for the right reasons.
"To have a family. To have our own family, and to do it right," the couple said. "Raise another generation of kind and caring, responsible kids."
They adopted their first child, Maxwell, through a private adoption agency, but opted to try fostering through the Department of Child Services, hoping it will lead to the adoption of their second.
"You know that there are challenges, but you're like I'll do it anyways," the hopeful foster parents said. "We just didn't think it would be this long of a process, or this tedious."
It took them nine months to complete their first adoption. This time around, it's been almost a year-and-a-half.
"We've been told the end of February, the end of March, April. Now we are told the end of May," Michael and Wade said. "We don't really have a lot of faith that will happen."
Their frustrations stem not only from their long wait time but from thinking of the ones who are really suffering here.
"It's straight to my heart because I had a hard childhood myself, and so I see people like us, and we know so many friends that are so desperate to do this, and you see so many kids that really need it," the couple said. "And it's inexcusable for as much as we proclaim our values here in Indiana, we need our politicians to put their money where their mouths are. Get the funding to DCS. Our social workers are so overworked."
Foster parents have to go through training, background checks, show medical statements, ensure their home is a safe environment, and then a home study that includes a minimum of three home visits.
Click here for Indiana's foster parents requirements.
DCS told RTV6 that on average, the entire licensing process takes about four months. But when it comes to actually placing a child in a home, the agency says the one challenge they face is finding families who are willing to take in children of varying ages, with varying needs or sibling groups. The more flexible a foster family, the quicker a child can be placed.
"You really are putting your heart... you're really going out on a limb, all the way around with this," Michael and Wade said. "And I have to believe it's worth it. I know it's worth it."
RTV6 also asked how many people have applied and are waiting to become foster parents right now in Indiana — the station has yet to hear back on those numbers.
