Gov. Spencer Cox called on Utahns to erase a historic deficit in foster care parenting during a joint press conference with state faith leaders on Tuesday.
Utah currently has 1,756 children in the foster care system but only 822 licensed foster families — the lowest number in over 25 years, according to Utah Foster Care CEO Nikki MacKay.
To meet this demand, Cox announced a formal invitation will be sent out to faith congregations across the state asking members to consider caring for foster children. A similar push occurred under former Gov. Mike Leavitt 24 years ago when several Utah area regional presidencies of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement encouraging members to enter the program.
In response, a record number of Utahns offered up their homes for foster care, Cox said at the press conference. Now, with the number of foster parents in the state “at an all time low,” Cox said he is “calling on Utahns to do the same thing again today.”
Read more about what Cox said on foster care in Utah and how people can help.
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