The Department of Child Safety in Phoenix is trying to figure out what to do with so many foster kids.
A DCS spokesperson said just last week, 22 kids under the age of 5 had to sleep in an overflow placement center because there just aren’t enough foster families.
On Friday the state reached out to current foster families for help. Spokesman Doug Nick said those families stepped up and took in many of those children on top of the kids they're already caring for.
"Given the need that we had for more families and beds to be provided, this was a strategy that we felt was appropriate at the time," said Nick. Though I don't have the numbers, we do know a number of kids were placed as a result of this."
According to the agency's website, nearly 18,000 kids are in the state system. There are just more than 4,600 licensed foster families in Arizona.
An organization called Arizona Kids Consortium is holding events from now through October all across the Valley to give people more information on fostering children.
