The foster care system in New York is facing a crisis, two years after the outbreak of the pandemic.

At a time when many nonprofit foster care agencies struggle to retain staff, more kids are entering the foster care system than available families.

With four little ones, things can get pretty hectic at Kayla Ambesi's house. All of them, from different backgrounds, live together as a family under one roof.

"They are absolutely amazing," Ambesi said. "Regardless of their stories or their situations, they are just amazing and lovely, and you’re making a difference.”

She and her husband started foster parenting five years ago, and eventually adopted the children. The family worked with Berkshire Farm Center, a fostering agency with offices throughout the state.

"There really isn’t one ideal foster parent because there’s not one specific type of child,” said Gloria Moran, director of foster care.

She said the pandemic created a shortage of foster parents in New York. More children need homes.

At the end of 2021, New York had over 11,000 foster homes, but more than 16,000 kids in foster care and around 600 kids needing adoption.

“We need as many foster parents as possible of all different ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, employment cultures, everything, because what we try to do is place the child’s strengths and needs and desires and community and culture with that same community culture strengths and needs so that they can meet each other," Moran said. "The problem right now is with the shortage we are having, that’s not possible.”

Ambesi said fostering has its fair share of challenges, especially when a child is first removed from a home.

“Tensions are high. Everybody’s emotional. You just had a removal. So just working through that with the families and the child, that’s kind of the toughest part, at least initially,” she said.

But there are also really great times, she said.

What makes all the ups and downs worth it is knowing she’s giving her kids the love they deserve.

“Every little success. The first steps of a kid, the first milestones that parents make in treatment, all of it is incredibly important and special,” Ambesi said.