LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — Lima and Allen County will soon be home to one of the state’s oldest foster care providers as Adriel prepares to open an office on Eastown Road.
The Ohio-based organization, which in some form has been caring for children in need for more than 125 years, offers services that include foster care, counseling, kinship care and adoption home study services. Adriel currently operates five other offices across the state and officials say expanding into Lima-Allen County aligns with a growing need for foster services throughout Ohio.
Todd Hanes, president and CEO of Adriel, said recruiting foster parents remains the organization’s top priority as the demand for placements continues to outpace availability.
“We are recruiting in every county in Ohio. We are recruiting foster parents. That is the number one goal, to find foster parents, train them, and then begin placing children,” Hanes said. “With 15,000 children in Ohio, if all of the agencies in Ohio were working at capacity, there would still be a need in Ohio.”
Community members interested in becoming foster parents or learning more about services can visit Adriel’s website at adriel.org.
