THE aim of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) is to have 75 per cent of children in State care placed in familial environments by 2023, rather than have them remain in a children’s home or institution, Chief Executive Officer Rosalee Gage-Grey has revealed.

According to Gage-Grey, the agency has already placed 67 per cent of the 4,500 children it is responsible for in familial settings and is pushing to secure more placements despite some challenges.

For the tedious work they had to endure last year, in matching some of these children with the right foster parents, Gage-Grey last Friday honoured a small group of CPFSA foster care officers who placed 20 or more children in a familial setting.

“The officers are expected to visit the new family and assist them with school placements and any needs that the child has, they help them satisfy those needs.

“Last year we honoured those who recruited the most foster parents. This year we felt we should honour them for the placements that they have done. They would have recruited and matched children with foster parents.

“They might not have assigned a child to them the same year they are recruited. They are recruited, trained and waiting placement but these people actual place children with the families,” Gage-Gray told the Observer.

— Jason Cross