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Black-owned foster agency opens Charlotte office, plans emergency shelter 32%
By Taylor Jennings-Brown0%
7/17/2026, 8:36:52 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 20 faulty reasoning types, including Attempt to Sell a Product or Service, Post Hoc (False Cause), and Appeal to Emotion, with Indoctrination as the most egregious example at 13.3% saturation with 162 hits. Analysis detected 1,348 faulty-reasoning hits from 1,222 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 41.7% and a BS Rank of 32% (12,856 of 18,883 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 68.10% of the article peer group.
Family Services of America (FSA) , a Black-owned foster care and mental health agency, has expanded into Mecklenburg County and is preparing to open a 12-bed youth emergency placement facility in Charlotte later this summer.
The Fayetteville-based agency opened its Charlotte office at 557 Monroe Road, Suite 200, in April.
Its emergency placement facility will house children transitioning into foster care.
FSA submitted a winning bid to Mecklenburg County Youth and Family Services to operate the facility in January 2025.
"Our priority was and is the shelter," said Shannon Battle, FSA’s founder, president and executive clinical director.
"We didn't want to move focus into other areas until we were able to solidly say, 'OK, I have a launch date, a start date,' and make sure that we are able to make the biggest impact in that area specifically."
Shannon Battle, founder, president and executive clinical director of Family Service of America.
Courtesy of Family Service of America.
Addressing the foster care shortage
Battle said FSA’s move into Mecklenburg County has been in the works for nearly 18 months, driven partly by regional shifts in healthcare networks.
Alliance Health, the managed care organization through which FSA provides contracted services in Cumberland County, recently added Mecklenburg County to its service perimeter.
The expansion targets a critical gap in local infrastructure.
According to state data, North Carolina has more than 11,000 children in foster care.
Local child welfare officials estimate that roughly 400 to 500 youth are in the Mecklenburg County system at any given time.
When placements run short, the Department of Social Services (DSS) first turns to its own licensed foster families, then reaches out to contracted agencies such as FSA.
Meanwhile, some children have been staying at DSS offices under the supervision of caseworkers "around the clock" while placements are located, Battle said.
She noted that FSA had to turn down seven placement requests in a single day over the course of a single week.
"It's not just an epidemic in Mecklenburg County," Battle said.
"It's in the state of North Carolina, and it's also nationwide."
Battle attributed the strain to a nationwide decline in new foster families, compounded by veteran foster parents aging out or experiencing burnout.
A high volume of current referrals involves teenagers, whom Battle identified as the most critical and difficult demographic to place.
Conversely, Battle estimated FSA’s internal foster parent retention has remained stable, with a 90% to 92% renewal rate over the past year.
FSA’s recruitment initiatives have also secured five new foster families within the county, potentially creating bed space for up to 10 youth in the coming months.
Local recruitment and hiring events
To support its local operations, FSA partnered with Charlotte's NCWorks Career Center to recruit for about 20 open positions, including case managers and behavioral technicians.
A second hiring event is scheduled for July 22.
The behavioral technicians FSA is hiring locally are designated to stabilize children’s emotional and behavioral needs during highly disruptive transition periods.
"When they're transitioning, it's important to try to ensure that we're providing trauma-informed care to make sure that the behaviors are stabilized," Battle said, "so we don't keep perpetuating the cycle."
For community members unable to commit to long-term placement, Battle emphasized the need for respite care — short-term relief that allows primary foster parents a weekend to reset — to help prevent placement breakdowns or potential hospitalizations during a crisis.
"People are more resourceful than what they realize," Battle said.
"I would just encourage other people to consider their network.
If they know that a person might be a good fit, whether it's to work with us directly as a behavioral tech or become a foster parent, share the information."
Prospective foster families can submit inquiries at familiesofusa.com.
Battle said FSA’s move into Mecklenburg County has been in the works for nearly 18 months, driven partly by regional shifts in healthcare networks.
Alliance Health, the managed care organization through which FSA already provides contracted services in Cumberland County, recently added Mecklenburg County to its service perimeter.
The expansion also targets a critical local infrastructure gap.
According to state child welfare data , North Carolina has more than 11,000 children in foster care.
In Mecklenburg County, local child welfare officials estimate that roughly 400 to 500 youth are in the local system at any given time.
In January 2025, FSA submitted a winning bid to Mecklenburg County Youth and Family Services to operate a new youth emergency placement facility designed to house children transitioning into foster care.
"Our priority was and is the shelter," Battle said.
"We didn't want to move focus into other areas until we were able to solidly say, 'OK, I have a launch date, a start date,' and make sure that we are able to make the biggest impact in that area specifically."
The facility, set to open in Charlotte later this summer, is a 12-bed shelter, but Battle said it will initially be licensed for six beds.
FSA’s recruitment initiatives have secured five new foster families within the county, potentially creating bed space for up to 10 youth in the coming months.
Battle explained that when placements run short, the Department of Social Services (DSS) first turns to its own licensed foster families, then reaches out to contracted agencies like FSA when no beds are available.
In the meantime, children have been staying at DSS offices under the supervision of caseworkers "around the clock" while placements are located, Battle said.
She also noted that FSA had to turn down seven placement requests in a single day, over the course of a single week.
"It's not just an epidemic in Mecklenburg County," Battle said.
"It's in the state of North Carolina, and it's also nationwide."
A recent multistate recruitment campaign drew responses from across the country, confirming identical crises, she said.
Battle attributed the strain to a nationwide decline in new foster families, compounded by veteran foster parents aging out or experiencing burnout.
The issue is exacerbated by shifting demographics; a high volume of current referrals involves teenagers, whom Battle identified as the most critical and difficult demographic to place.
Conversely, FSA’s internal foster parent retention has remained stable.
Battle reported a 90% to 92% renewal rate over the past year.
The behavioral technicians FSA is hiring locally are designated to stabilize children’s emotional and behavioral needs during highly disruptive transition periods.
"When they're transitioning, it's important to try to ensure that we're providing trauma-informed care to make sure that the behaviors are stabilized," Battle said, "so we don't keep perpetuating the cycle."
For community members unable to commit to long-term placement, Battle emphasized the need for respite care — short-term relief that allows primary foster parents a weekend to reset — helping prevent placement breakdowns or potential hospitalizations during a crisis.
FSA opened its Charlotte office at 557 Monroe Road, Suite 200, in April.
The location is currently fully staffed and operational, and accepting inquiries from prospective foster families at familiesofusa.com .
"People are more resourceful than what they realize," Battle said.
"I would just encourage other people to consider their network.
If they know that a person might be a good fit, whether it's to work with us directly as a behavioral tech or become a foster parent, share the information."
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