COLUMBUS – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Director Kim Hall today announced that May is Foster Care Awareness Month. Choosing to be a foster or kinship caregiver means giving a child the love and stability they need at a difficult time in their life that is no fault of their own.

In Ohio, more than 15,000 children are in out-of-home care, a 25 percent increase since 2013. This sharp uptick is due, in part, to one or both parents battling substance use disorder.

“There are thousands of selfless foster and kinship caregivers in Ohio willing to provide a safe, supportive environment for kids,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “These families deserve the highest praise for stepping up and making a difference.”

“Children in foster care deserve to be given the same opportunities that any other child in the state receives,” Director Hall said. “Temporary care can have a lasting impact on a child, helping them live up to their full potential.”

For more information on what you can do to help a child who needs it most, visit FosterAndAdopt.jfs.ohio.gov.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services manages vital programs that strengthen Ohio families. These include job training and employment services, unemployment insurance, cash and food assistance, child care, child and adult protective services, adoption, and child support services.