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There are more kids in the foster care system than people stepping up to help, and one organization is helping to change that

The Isaiah 117 House is an organization that provides support to children needing placement.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — May is National Foster Care Month, and more than 1,200 children are in the foster care system in Shelby County. 

Virginia Roberts and her husband, Frank, started their foster care journey seven years ago. Today, they have 3 children who they have adopted and continue to foster because the need is just that high.

Virginia said they are on a mission to change the way foster care begins through a partnership with an organization that is setting up houses for foster children across the state.

“It’s a day where a stranger comes into their home, says, ‘You need to come with me. And here’s a bag, come grab your things.’ And they don’t really know what’s coming next,’” Roberts explained.

“Their mom, their siblings, maybe their favorite blanket they forgot in all the shuffle, and then there’s this gap time,” Roberts stated. “Where they’re taken typically to the DCS office to sit and await placement, which was never intended for children.”

Roberts is a mother of 7. She and her husband knew they always wanted to adopt, but after seeing how expensive private adoption could be, they decided to take another route.

“I think I remember looking up Bethany Services online. They had a little button for foster care, and I was like, ‘I never thought about that.' I went onto that. It was basically like, ‘Hey come the first meeting. It’s just informational. See what this is all about,” Roberts added.

After finishing adoption courses, the Roberts got a call to foster their now 4-year-old adopted son in 2020. Shortly after that, they got another call to foster their now two teenage adopted daughters.

“After we heard the numbers, something we had never thought about. We didn’t even know it was a problem in our city, so our hearts were broken,” Roberts said.

And whether or not their journey ended in adoption, they knew fostering was their calling. 

Now, they are working with the Isaiah 117 House, which was originally created in Carter County, Tennessee. It’s an organization that provides support to children needing placement.

“When they come into custody, they’ll go straight to a house where they’ll be greeted by volunteers who will just lavishly love on them. They’ll get to have a bubble bath and a home-cooked meal,” Roberts said. “They’ll play out in the yard or watch their favorite movie while the caseworker is going to have their private office to do all that they have to do, make all the calls while finding the right placement.”

There are 12 open homes in the state with more on the way.

Roberts said the team is working on bringing two houses to Shelby County, which Governor Bill Lee and the state are funding to speed up the process.

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