Several and public organizations have launched a joint campaign to increase number of foster parents for abused and neglected children in Greater Cincinnati.

According to officials, fewer and fewer families are applying to serve as foster parents and many of them dropped out of the program because of the increased scrutiny and bad publicity that followed several high-profile incidents involving abuse or death of foster children.

The county's department of Job and Family Services reported the losses Wednesday when agency officials launched a $1 million campaign to recruit foster parents, local media sources reported.

The campaign named “Everyday heroes” started Wednesday and will feature a commercial, billboards and other marketing materials, which picture foster parents as super heroes as they go about the routine tasks of life, providing children a sense of normalcy.

"The choice to be a foster parent is a noble choice; it provides the opportunity to change a child's life and to change this community," said Moira Weir, director of the Department of Job and Family Services.

In Hamilton County, 850 children are in foster care on a given day. In the last two years, the county has lost more than 11 foster homes. Weir said about 30 percent of Hamilton County’s foster children now are placed outside the county because there are not enough homes available. Many already take more than one foster child.

“We can’t keep up with demand,” she said.

She also added that the department has improved, added training and hired more caseworkers in the past year. However, she said the system needed more foster parents to serve children well.

Besides being a noble choice, being a foster parent also represents a challenge, Weir said. Foster parents are paid between $16 and $35 a day and often must help kids cope with physical disabilities and psychological problems.

Participants in the recruitment campaign include local government, business, social service and organizations and the United Way of Greater Cincinnati.