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Night of bourbon, BBQ to help Forsyths foster families
bourbon

NORTH FORSYTH -- Drinking bourbon and listening to the blues on Saturday will help Forsyth County children be placed in foster families.

 

Kinsey Family Farm is playing host to Forsyth County Community Connection’s Blues&Q. The event, which started last year, is set for 6:30 p.m. at 7170 Jot Em Down Road.

 

A portion of the proceeds will fund home studies, said Niki Colella, executive director of Community Connection. This allows Forsyth County Family and Children Services to examine families and their homes for their viability in becoming a foster family.

 

The 2014 event raised enough money to conduct 10 home studies, which cost about $700 each.

 

“It goes toward home studies and anything else the state does not pay for,” Colella said. “A lot of times the family pays for them. These families are opening up their homes to kids in need and having to pay for the study.”

 

According to Community Connection, it costs $15.04 per day to raise a child age 5 or younger in a Forsyth County foster home. That cost raises to $17 for kids ages 6-12 and $19.36 once they turn 13.

 

The cost for the placement of a child in a private agency foster home starts at $44.93 per day, and it costs $104.87 per day to have a child in a private agency group home.

 

There are currently 36 foster families in the county, Colella said.

 

It’s much cheaper to keep the child in the county because of transportation costs. Reunification with birth parents is also more likely and quicker if they remain in the same county.

 

The local family and children services has 70 kids in custody; 23 live in private agency foster homes, 30 in foster homes, 11 in group homes, two with non-parental family members, two in a hospital or treatment facility and two with relatives in another state.

 

Colella said 30 are girls and 40 are boys, with the largest age group being kids 5 and younger (27).

 

Event attendees will have the chance to support this cause through raffles and auctions. There will live music by The CAP03 Band, corn hole and a bonfire.

 

Admission — $80 for one or $140 for two — includes dinner provided by Jim N’ Nicks and two adult beverages. Tickets can be purchased online at bluesandq.com or at the door.