ST. LUCIE WEST — Communities Connected for Kids welcomes Cayuga and Education Advantage to its child-welfare system this summer. The non-profit organizations are the latest to start recruiting, training and licensing foster families in Okeechobee and the Treasure Coast.

“Foster-home recruitment continues to be a priority for us,” said Christina Kaiser, director of community relations for CCKids, the organization that oversee child-welfare services in Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and Okeechobee counties. “Each of our licensing agencies brings something unique to the table, which is important when you’re trying to engage families to care for children from all cultures and communities.”

Two of CCKids’ recruiting agencies are faith-based and recruit from churches, while a third recruits from the general community. Another recruits from the African American community.

The addition of Cayuga and Education Advantage will focus recruitment efforts for particular populations of children, specifically those in large sibling groups and harder-to-place children in need of enhanced services.

“Cayuga will focus on finding foster homes for children who, because of their trauma, have more behavior issues that makes them harder to place,” CCKids Contract Director Andi Poli said. “And Education Advantage will focus their efforts of recruiting and licensing homes capable of taking larger sibling groups.”

Targeted recruitment is among the latest efforts by CCKids to keep children out of group homes, which are an essential part of the system of care but not meant as an alternative to foster homes.

Approximately 270 children are in foster placements throughout Okeechobee and the Treasure Coast. Foster parents change lives and offer hope to children who have been removed from home due abuse or neglect. They play a significant role in helping families heal and reunite. For information about how you can become a foster parent, visit www.cckids.net.