Lorraine Stout shares the urgent need for loving foster parents…- #OurVillagesFamily
Lorraine Stout, MLD, Recruitment and Retention Specialist at The Villages
“I love the passion our foster parents have to be a part of changing a child’s future. Our foster parents are tough cookies, it’s not an easy job but they are up for the challenge and they all want to do their part.” – Lorraine Stout
Lorraine Stout, MLD, has been a part of The Villages’ family for almost 3 years. Prior to her current position, Lorraine was a Therapeutic Foster Care Social Worker with The Villages. As a social worker she would support foster parents and families in navigating the foster care system and help to create a stable, nurturing and loving home for each child being served. Having this firsthand experience in matching children with the best foster parent has shown her how important it is to seek and license dedicated, loving and caring foster parents as The Villages current Recruitment and Retention Specialist.
Lorraine loves the many opportunities she has to spend time in the community and share the immediate need for foster parents. She travels to schools, libraries, YMCAs, churches and other family oriented places throughout central Indiana in hopes of connecting with potential new foster parents. “I love meeting new people in the community who have questions about the children we serve and becoming a foster parent,” says Lorraine. She conducts presentations to give individuals a better understanding of what being a foster parent is really about, facilitates individual pre-service and in-service trainings for foster parents, as well as assists families through the entire licensing process.
Forming these relationships with foster parents is a crucial part of what we do here at The Villages. We know that providing this type of relationship and support will only increase the success of a brighter future for every child we serve and allow them to flourish in a healthy home. One thing that Lorraine says she likes about The Villages’ licensing process is that “The Villages is so supportive. Every step of the licensing process has a different level of help, and according to the foster parents I’ve communicated with, they find that The Villages support is very helpful for them.”
Do you have a heart for children? Do you have time, love and care to provide a child in need? Consider becoming a foster parent and helping children in your community! For more information, please click here. To see upcoming Foster Parent Information Sessions in your area visit our community calendar.