Julia Roberts Goad

Staff Writer

A regional group is seeking local families to provide safe environments for kids who need out of home care.

For more than eight years, Necco of Logan has provided foster families and much needed therapy to hundreds of needy children in Logan and Mingo counties.

“We currently have 70 children placed,” said Zeke Davis, Program Director for Necco of Logan. “But we need more families, both in Mingo and Logan Counties.”

NECCO serves abused and neglected children of all ages in the custody of child welfare and juvenile justice agencies in the states of Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. They work with children and young adults who are placed with the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice, the Kentucky Department of Community Based Services, and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.

In West Virginia, NECCO serves kids from birth to age 18, from all 55 counties in the state.

NECCO does a background check on all those who apply to foster a child. After being approved, the organization provides training and certification for fostering a child, as well as 24 hour support to foster families.

“We serve sibling groups by exhausting all measures to keep them together,” Davis said.

According to their website, NECCO provides in-home case management, a 24-hour on-call crisis pager, assistance with obtaining individual services for children such as therapy, respite care, regular training opportunities, and support to foster families as needed. Should you decide to adopt, NECCO can assist you with the paperwork and on-going supervision of the child.

As an agency, NECCO works to provide the best possible quality of life for foster children and the best possible support services to the foster parents responsible for their care. In addition to the emotional rewards of helping a child in need, foster families receive bi-monthly reimbursement, specialized training, respite opportunities and various supportive services.

For more information or to apply to foster a child in need, call NECCO at 304 752-7830 or visit their website at necco.org.