Foster care is designed to be temporary. It is not meant to be a years-long “lifestyle.” Unfortunately, too many innocent vulnerable children in Harnett County are lingering in foster care for three, four, five or more years. This is outrageous.

Any child development expert will tell you that consistency, stability, and permanency are significant factors in a child’s overall well-being as they grow and mature into adulthood. We cannot allow these children to simply linger in the “system.”

Push for more resources and push for accountability of the courts and other child welfare professionals to ensure that these children achieve permanency sooner rather than later.