VIDALIA &8212; The Office of Community Service for Concordia Parish is looking for foster and adoptive parents.

&8220;We have a need for foster parents in Concordia Parish because many children from the parish have to be relocated outside the parish,&8221; Supervisor Sheila Bacon said.

Foster care is temporary care in a person&8217;s home for a child who has been removed from their home because of abuse or neglect, Bacon said.

Adoption is a permanent commitment to a child of abuse or neglect that is legally free and their parental rights have been terminated.

For a person wishing to adopt or foster a child, Bacon said he or she would have to complete the office&8217;s process.

&8220;The first step is calling us,&8221; Bacon said. &8220;Then we find out if you fill all the requirements.&8221;

Requirements, Bacon said include making sure the potential sponsor is of proper age, can provide a safe and secure home, is financially capable to support themselves and a child, consents to a criminal record and child abuse registry check and attends 30 hours of the in-service foster parent training.

&8220;We teach the potential parent the typical behavior characteristics of children who come into custody of Louisiana Community Service and how to deal with them,&8221; Bacon said.

But really, all it takes to adopt or foster a child, Bacon said, is two things.

&8220;It takes love and the desire to want to deal with children who come into custody of community services,&8221; Bacon said.

Bacon said the state of Louisiana provides some money to the foster or adoptive parent but the amount varies from child to child.

For more information on fostering or adopting a child in Concordia Parish, contact the Office of Community Service at 1-800-814-1585.