BLOOMINGTON - Few things are more traumatic for a child than removal from a home because of abuse or neglect.

When the removal process includes placement in a foster home many miles from home, the experience can be even more stressful.

The need to increase the number of foster homes in McLean County was the focus of a conference Saturday sponsored by the McLean County Foster Care Coalition. About 25 current and prospective foster parents attended the seminar at Mount Pisgah Baptist Church.

Several factors have contributed to the shortage of foster homes, according to Cindy Musick with The Baby Fold's foster care program.

"The fact that more families are working has had an impact," Musick said. "People also live busy lives, and being a foster parent is like making a decision to have a child."

Convincing people that foster children can be part of their lives is a goal of The Baby Fold and seven local agencies that comprise the Foster Care Coalition.

In 2007, 231 McLean County children were placed in foster care, with 146 of them placed with caregivers who were relatives. The remaining children were accepted into foster homes. According to coalition data, only 38 percent of local children placed in foster care live within five miles of their homes.

Nikita Richards left the conference with plans to start the licensing process to be a foster parent. An employee with the county's juvenile court system, Richards has seen firsthand the need many children have for a stable home environment.

"I am so tired of seeing children bused off to other counties. I would love to see them kept within five miles of their homes. I want to be part of that dream," Richards said.

A lack of information about the foster care program also may contribute to the shortage of available placements, Musick said. For example, state guidelines do not require a minimum income level for foster parents and single as well as married couples may care for children.

McLean County Judge Donald Bernardi and retired Judge Ron Dozier are members of the coalition and participated in the foster care panel.

The number of foster parents has not kept pace with the need, Bernardi said. Eighteen child abuse cases were filed in McLean County court in 1975, compared to about 250 last year, according to Bernardi, who handles abuse and neglect cases.

Foster mother Michelle Darnell told conference participants she and her husband are in the process of adopting two young boys who have lived with the family as foster children. The couple has cared for several children over the past 4½ years.

Serving as a role model for children who have missed out on the benefits of a healthy family environment is important, Darnell said.

Albert De Los Santos, a former foster child who now works as a counselor with the Baby Fold's foster care program, said his placement at age 12 changed his life. De Los Santos, now 25, was one of seven children in a family that lived in a station wagon before child welfare workers placed him with a family on a farm near Joliet.

"I still call that my home base," De Los Santos said of his foster family.

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Foster parent information

For information on becoming a foster parent, use the following resources.

- Call The Baby Fold in Normal at (309) 454-1770

- Visit the state of Illinois Web site at www.state.il.us/dcfs/foster/index.shtml