Billboard conveys need for more foster homes in Richland County

July 23, 2018

 

 

A new billboard is helping draw attention to the need for foster parents across Richland County.

Mifflin Elementary School student, Ellie Powell's drawing, "They Need Love to Share! Every Kid Wants a Home!" is featured on billboards located at 409 North Main St. and 200 Lexington Ave. in Mansfield.

This is the second billboard from Richland County Children Services 5^th Annual Billboard and Calendar contest. The theme of this year's contest was "A Safe, Supportive, Loving Family, What Does It look Like to You?" The contest was open to third grade students in Richland County and is sponsored by Richland County Children Services as part of Child Abuse Prevention Month in April.

"This year the agency decided to have the second and third place winners also appear on billboards for Foster Care and Kinship Care. The second-place winner was Ellie Powell and the third-place winner was Tucker Keetle, both students from Mifflin Elementary School. Frida Rojas Martinez, a third-grade student at the Mansfield Spanish Immersion School, won this year's contest," said Brigitte Coles, Community Engagement Specialist.

"Richland County Children Services has a need for foster parents and we wanted to get the message out to our county. Our agency has seen an increase in the number of children placed in foster care due to the opioid epidemic with no increase in homes available to care for our children, " said Tim Harless, Director of Community Outreach and Programming. 

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