Even when they win, they still lose.

When a foster family decide to adopt a child or teen placed with them by Family Pathways, 100 Brugh Ave., the adoptee gains a home, but the nonprofit foster care and adoption agency loses a family willing to take in a foster child.

The agency is looking for more people willing to step up as foster parents, and its staff hopes that with May being National Foster Care Awareness Month, more attention will be drawn to the shortage in Butler County.

Presently, the agency has 10 to 15 foster families available to take in children and teens, said Brenda Dunmyre, placement specialist/recruiter for Family Pathways which offers other child and family services.

“There's always a shortage of foster families. We are always looking to recruit,” Dunmyre said. “That's why we are doing this Living Treasures event next Saturday.”

Family Pathways will have a foster/adoptive family recruitment event from 1 to 4 p.m. May 6 at Living Treasures animal park.

Dunmyre said, “My goal in May is to get at least 10 more homes.”

Dunmyre said, “When we do events like this, it is usually well attended. It's great for the families and great for the local businesses.”

And if it happens to pique the interest of a few families in fostering or adopting one of Family Pathways' children, that will be great, too.

Family Pathways serves about 80 clients a month, said Elan Welter Lewis, agency executive director.

“Our focus is at-risk children and families. We have a number of different services for families, as well as early childhood mental health. We were the first in the state to offer it,” she said.

“It's important to mention we have three psychiatrists on staff. We have that high level of psychiatric support that many families need,” Welter Lewis said.

Other services offered to the children and families include outpatient and family-based mental health services, parent empowerment and supervised visitations.

Most of the children Family Pathways places come from Butler County Children and Youth Services.

According to Dunmyre, “Most are coming into foster care because of drug issues. It's putting a lot of children and families at risk.”

Other children need fostering because of homelessness or abuse or neglect, said Ashley Rummel, placement coordinator.

“We work with kids from zero to 21,” said Lindsey Snow, permanency coordinator. “The goal is reunification with the biological family.”

“Parent empowerment serves to help families keep their children,” added Snow, and to that effect Family Pathways offers sobriety and parenting classes.

Welter Lewis said, “The bottom line is people want their kids and the bottom line is we want people to have them.”

Should a family unification prove impossible, a child remains in the foster system until at least 18.

Rummel noted at 18, a foster child has the option of leaving the system. At 21, however, an individual has “aged out” of foster care.

Rummel said, “Hopefully they have developed support around them and independent living skills.”

Families of all kinds can be foster families: single and married adults of all races, ethnicities, religions and sexual orientations.

Rummel said, “A lot of foster families are kinship caregivers. When the county looks for placement they look for family relatives.”

Dunmyre said Family Pathways always tries to place a child going into foster care with someone known to the child.

“Kinship care is when a family member or someone well known to the child — such as a neighbor or teacher — steps forward to take care of the child while that child is in foster care,” said Dunmyre.

According to Dunmyre, Family Pathways is looking for foster families from all walks of life; in rural, suburban, and city neighborhoods; families who have room in their home and heart for a child or sibling group of varying ages; who are committed to making a difference in society; have a good sense of humor and can accept a challenge.

Individuals must meet certain licensing criteria: favorable criminal, child abuse, and FBI clearances; pass a physical exam by a licensed physician; be free of communicable diseases; be 21 years of age; and have adequate income to support their own family.

The individual must be open to completing training and working with Family Pathways' staff. Their home must meet certain safety requirements. Mentor and respite families are also needed throughout the area.

Dunmyre said, depending on the potential foster parents' commitment, training can be completed in as little as 45 days.

Tracy Belles, placement coordinator, said, “We would like to have people to mentor older teens. It's tough enough just being a teenager without what some of them have gone through.”

Dunmyre said, “We always need foster families. They can be all ages, they need to be flexible and have an open heart and an open home.”

May is National Foster Care Awareness Month — a time to acknowledge the foster parents, family members, volunteers, mentors, policymakers, child welfare professionals, and other members of the community who help children and youths in foster care find permanent homes and connections.It is also a time to focus on ways to create a bright future for the more than 400,000 children and youths in foster care.This year, the theme for the month is “Empowering Caregivers, Strengthening Families,” which emphasizes the importance of identifying, developing, and supporting prospective and current foster parents and kinship caregivers.The Children's Bureau, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, funds the National Foster Care Month initiative each May through a partnership with Child Welfare Information Gateway.Throughout its history, the Children's Bureau has worked to assist children and youth in foster care; engage youth in decisions that affect their lives; and support foster families, kinship caregivers, child welfare professionals, and others who help these children.Learn more at www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/about/history/.

WHAT: Family Pathways foster parent recruitment drive.WHEN: 1 to 4 p.m. May 6.WHERE: Entrance of Living Treasures animal park along Interstate 79 four miles from the New Castle/Moraine exit.INFO: Family Pathways' staff will be available to answer questions about the agency's foster care/adoption programs.People may stop and receive information on how to become certified as a foster family. Those inquiring will receive a gift and be entered into a prize drawing.Later in the afternoon, Family Pathways will show its appreciation to the foster families certified through the agency with paid admission to Living Treasures.