(WSIL) -- The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is bracing for an uptick in cases. This comes after an of more than 2,000 kids from July 2020 to June 2021.
While those numbers are still being finalized, the department believes more than 23,000 children will be in care by that time. Of those, around the state's 15 most southern counties.
Meaning more people need to step up as foster parents and give these youth a safe place to stay. Those like the O'Dell's in Carbondale, who were temporary parents to many and are permanent parents to a few.
Les and Christine O'Dell took in their son Xavier as a new born through the foster care system.
Xavier O'Dell
Christine says Xavier, who just turned 11 on May 15, is what you would expect from a boy his age.
"He's a typical pre-teen boy right now," she explains. "He loves sports. He loves drawing. He loves playing with his brothers."
Those brothers are Kaleb and Bentley, who also came to the O'Dell's as infants.
Kaleb, Bentley and Xavier
It's something the couple never thought they would do -- foster -- let alone adopt. Les says especially with their biological children being older.
“We had a son in college and a daughter in high school," Les recalls. "I was ready for an empty nest. "
Their situation changed with Christine needing to fulfill a credit for her bachelor's degree in adult education while employed at Southern Illinois
University Carbondale.
"I had to take a child development class, and I could never fit it into my work schedule," she remembers. "So I talked to my advisor, and she suggested learning more about training for foster care."
The O'Dell's took the class together and by the end of the semester knew it would be life changing.
"We got our first foster care placement," Les says. "A little blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy who was 4 years old, and came in and stole our hearts. "
The little boy taken in by O'Dells likely entered into foster care just the same as many children before him.
go to the Department of Children and Family Services hotline where trained professionals decide if the claims should be investigated the agency.
Nanette Vaughn, who oversees , says abuse and neglect are often hard to define and vary by family and child.
"Just because little Johnny and Suzie have on dirty clothes doesn't mean they are neglected or abused," she explains. "It just means mom doesn't have access to those resources."
Through CASA community volunteers are assigned a child or family in the foster care system, and act as eyes and ears for the judge presiding over the case
"It's uncomfortable; It's not a good topic," Vaughn explains. "We don't want to know these things are happening right next to us."
According to the State of Illinois, abuse is the mistreatment of a child by anyone responsible for their welfare, and includes physical, sexual or mental abuse.
While neglect is the failure to meet minimal parenting standards for supervision, food, clothing and medical care among others.
While as many as 100,000 children go unreported since fiscal year 2017 the number of youth in care has gone up.
The projected number of youth at the end of fiscal year 2021 or next month is 23, 238. By end of fiscal year 2022, add 306 kids.
CEO Gary Huelsmann, CEO of , the largest foster care program in southern Illinois says there are many reasons for the increase -- some tied to the pandemic.
Gary Huelsmann, CEO of Caritas Family Solutions
For Part 2 of the story, News 3 will have more on the impacts the pandemic has had on the foster care system, and how are those are still being felt.
Plus, we'll check back with the O'Dells, and how they've become the family that they are today all because of taking a leap of faith and becoming foster parents.
Tune in to News 3 This Morning at 6 on Thursday, May 20th.
More information on becoming a foster parent can be .
