Wanted: Help For 'Splitters'

Wanted: A single person, couple or family oí any age who can relate to young persons, is willing to talk openly, encourages others to talk and is flexible. Responsible job offers possibility of intangible rewards including contact with youth culture and a fun experience. Ozone House, 302 E. Liberty, is seeking foster parents who meet the above description. The haven for young persons with problems or who just want to rap, faces an increasing number of runaway youths, ages 12-17, with no place to o. Lynn -Rosenfield, Ozone House staff member, says many run-aways who come to Ozone have run before and were returned to the situation which made them try to escape. In the last two months, at least five persons have run and had to return because there wasn't another alternative. She says some run from parents while others, without families, run from the state institution to which they have been sent. Glen Fischer, member of the board of directors, says the situation has been getting worse because "more kids are splitting from home." Although Ozone House doesn't harbor run-aways, it does try to work out a strategy to find a new environment if the situation is intolerable. If foster ents were available in a "foster parent pool," Miss Rosenfield says there is an increased possibility the courts or parents would allow run-aways to live in a different situation. Ozone House is working at this time with Catholic Social Services, trying to find foster parents. Miss Rosenfield says the Ozone House board of directors is applying to the State of Michigan for a license to independently license foster parents. Processing the application could take up to six months. Persons interested in becoming foster parents for run-away youths should cali Lynn Rosenfield or Alice Damiani, Ozone House staff members, at 769-6549.