Children experience more healthy and happy development when surrounded by caring family members and positive role models. Ready to help provide children with these supportive people is COBYS Family Services.

Headquartered at 1417 Oregon Road, Leola, COBYS provides a wide variety of support services for children in need in Lancaster County and surrounding counties. But what COBYS is really all about is giving all childeren a chance to grow into well-adjusted adults.

"We know that those support systems - families, biological or chosen - get you through life," said Anne Stokes, the director of development and communications for COBYS, "so you can have kids who can relate to others and forge lifelong relationships. It's the key to a successful way. We don't want to give up on them. Kids are now coming into care with layers and layers of trauma."

With three locations in Lancaster and one in Lebanon County, COBYS approaches its mission through adoption, foster care, counseling and family life education programs. Motivated by faith, COBYS works closely and cooperates with state and local social agencies to provide the best possible outcome for each individual case.

"Any child may end up in foster care; it doesn't really discriminate," said Stokes. "They can come from any place. Perhaps their family has been in poverty. Maybe their parents or grandparents have alcohol or other substance abuse issues. Sometimes kids are left to raise themselves. These kids may be in foster care for a few months until their moms and dads can take them back. The goal is to return children to their biological families, if possible."

According to the 2022 State of Welfare report by the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, close to 500 children were in foster care in Lancaster County in 2021, and more than 20,000 kids in Pennsylvania received foster care during that same time frame.

"We receive a good portion of our funding from the state and county, but because of the high level of care that we provide, it doesn't cover all the things we do," said Stokes. "We empower adults and children to reach their full potential. When they come to us, they're at a really tough spot in their lives. Our work is to make sure their lives are enriched as much as possible. It's a challenge that we continue to look to meet."

COBYS is staffed by over 100 employees, about 10 of whom are licensed therapists.

"Foster parents are definitely our greatest need right now," said Stokes. "We need people to say yes to taking an older child into their home. They have to be licensed to be foster parents, and we provide trauma-focused training. It's not an easy thing to do, but it's the future of a child. It's a big challenge and a big reward."

COBYS was founded in 1979 in association with the Atlantic Northeast District Church of the Brethren. It has been headquartered at its current location inside the Oregon Mill since 1989.

"COBYS just started out doing very basic foster care," said Stokes. "Over the years, the need for services has grown, and our agency has grown to meet those needs. What we pride ourselves on most is how we deliver our care."

For additional information on COBYS, go to http://www.cobys.org.