More than 500 children were removed from their homes across Polk, Hardee and Highlands counties over the past year, according to local officials and the region’s child‑welfare lead agency. That sobering number is driving a renewed push as Heartland for Children and Polk County spotlight May as Foster Parent Appreciation Month. Advocates say teenagers and sibling groups are the hardest to place and warn that more licensed homes are needed if kids are going to stay close to their schools, friends and communities.
County post and agency message
In a Facebook reel from Polk County Government, Heartland for Children reported that more than 500 children were removed from their homes for abuse or neglect in the past year. The video also highlights May as Foster Parent Appreciation Month and directs viewers to local foster‑care resources. County staff and the agency are using the post to flag the immediate gaps in licensed foster homes and kinship placements.
Lead agency: teens and siblings hardest to place
Tracy Grey, Heartland for Children's chief community relations officer, told local media that the region is especially short on homes for teenagers and children with special needs and that the agency hopes to recruit about 60 new foster families. As reported by ABC Action News/Tampa Bay 28, Grey pointed to COVID, rising costs and a post‑pandemic slowdown in licensing as factors that have made it tougher to bring new foster parents into the system. The outlet also spoke with a longtime foster parent who described the work as difficult but life‑changing.
How Heartland is responding
Heartland for Children, the community‑based care lead agency for Polk, Hardee and Highlands counties, publishes weekly performance and recruitment updates and operates a Make A Difference hub with information on foster‑care training and classes. Prospective caregivers can find class schedules, virtual info sessions and application steps on Heartland for Children. The agency says that expanding placements for teens, sibling groups and children with special needs is key to cutting down on placements in group homes.
Local foster parents share what it takes
Longtime foster parent Jill Lovely told ABC Action News she has taken in many children over the years and called fostering “life‑changing,” even when a child only stays for a short time. Local leaders say neighbors who can step in for temporary kinship care, keep sibling groups together or open their homes to teens could make a measurable difference across the system. County officials and Heartland leaders encourage anyone considering foster care to review the requirements and training early, since licensing and home studies are not overnight processes.
What neighbors can do
For now, the immediate goal is to increase the number of licensed foster homes so fewer children end up in group settings away from their own communities. Polk County’s post and Heartland’s recruitment effort both emphasize that the need is local and pressing. Residents are urged to watch the county reel and visit Heartland’s sign‑up hub for upcoming info sessions and application details. Official information is available from Heartland for Children and in Polk County Government’s Facebook reel.
