Community of Hope - MSNewsNow.com - Jackson, MS

Community of Hope

Several state organizations are hoping a new partnership will reduce the number of children in foster care.

Casey Family Programs was introduced as the newest member of an alliance to creating a safe and healthy environment for vulnerable families and children.

The organizations, including the Mississippi Department of Human Services, the Mississippi Commission on Children's Justice, and the Foundation for the Mid South, will work together to try and ensure children in troubled families go to stay with family members or become apart of a permanent family.

In the meantime, parents will also receive the counseling they need.

"Our focus here is to engage communities in displaying positive behavior and providing a sense of encouragement and hope. Hope is that thing that causes you to have an expectation that no matter what today looks like, tomorrow can be a success for me," said Casey Family Programs President and CEO, Dr. William C. Bell.

"We want to be able to really provide the individual services for each family, so that families in Mississippi can stay together, and if we have healthy families, we'll have healthy communities and we'll have communities of hope," said Mississippi Department of Human Service Deputy Administrator Lori Woodruff.

Casey Family Programs will provide financial and personnel support to state programs.

Last fiscal year, more than 3,800 children received foster care services in the state.

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