WHEELING, W.Va. (WTRF) – There are more than 6,000 children in foster care in the Mountain State. 

With a number that great, there is always a need for more families to open their doors. 

If you’ve ever thought about being a foster parent, here’s your chance to learn more. 

This Sunday, June 4, several agencies are partnering to hold an open house.

CASA for Children, Genesis Youth Crisis Center, the Children’s Home Society of West Virginia and the National Youth Advocate Program will be there with current foster families to answer questions.

They can show people interested in welcoming a foster child into their home all the resources that are there to support the families. 

“One of the unique things about foster families is that they really reflect everyone in society. You can be a single mom. You can be a single dad. You can be a two mom family, a two dad family. You can be a mom and dad. You can have kids. You can have not have kids. You can be interested in infants. You can be interested in teens and anywhere in between because the need really is for all kinds of families.”

Susan Harrison, Executive Director, CASA for Children

Plus, advocates say there’s a real need for homes right here in the Ohio Valley. 

“By keeping kids local, we can keep them involved in their entire supports system. They can stay in their school of origin. They can keep their friends, their athletics, their youth groups, their grandparents able to just keep that same support system. Also, it makes it a lot easier for their parents to be able to have visitations with them and it can smooth out the reunification process.”

Susan Harrison, Executive Director, CASA for Children

If you’re interested learning more about becoming a foster family, come to the American Legion Post 1 at 21 Sycamore Avenue in Elm Grove this Sunday, June 4th.

The open house is from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.

It will be a relaxed atmosphere with games and food for the whole family.