A publication dedicated to making foster care and adoption in North Carolina the best they can be
Welcome to the Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina! If you are a foster, adoptive, or kinship family in North Carolina you are automatically a member of FFA-NC. Our organization began more than 40 years ago (in 1975) as the North Carolina Foster Parent Association and changed its name in 2006 to the North Carolina Foster and Adoptive Parent Association
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by Jennifer Nehlsen • Guardians ad litem serve as the voice of the abused and neglected children in their community while the court works to determine the most appropriate permanent plan. Guardians ad litem (GALs) should have direct and sufficient contact with the child-client to carry out an independent and valid investigation of the child-client’s circumstances and to know the
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by Jonathan Rockoff • During the pandemic, child welfare agencies have worked hard to ensure the safety of children and families. To get an inside view of this effort, I spoke with two North Carolina child welfare professionals. Myca Jeter, Foster Care Director for Access Family Services, says after the pandemic hit her immediate concern was for resource families and
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by Jamie Bazemore • The pandemic has brought loss and hardship to so many of us. But for me it has also been a reminder of how adaptable and creative humans can be. Even when faced with disruption and challenges, we somehow find a way to innovate and move forward. I hope when COVID is behind us we will continue
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by LeAnn McKoy • COVID-19 created the opportunity for the NC Division of Social Services to review its policies and practices to ensure the safety of children and families. We all have learned to wear masks, wash our hands more, and maintain physical distance from family and friends. New processes were adopted, while safety of children and families remained the
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The Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina would like to thank each and every one of you for all that you do for our families. We celebrate every victory that you and your children have overcome together. As we announced in the last Fostering Perspectives, we are working with organizations throughout the state to host conferences. We are still discussing
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When reading profiles of waiting children, I’ve noticed there is often a request for the child to maintain contact with a birth family member, such as a sibling or grandparent, after the adoption. What type of contact is allowed? Is that safe for the child and for adoptive families? Each adoption is unique, especially those involving children in the foster
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Children’s Home Society of NC (CHS) worked in partnership with Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago to develop a leading-edge practice model to build on the strengths of its Foster Care to Permanency program. A CHS and Chapin Hall team, as well as foster parents, birth parents, and youth with foster care experience, partnered to develop this practice model
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by Corey B. Best • I view myself as worthy, resilient, and filled with hope. However, I never quite understood why systems that were designed to support, nurture, and live by such a high standard viewed me as broken and in fact treated me and others around me as such. This daunting and harsh lesson about systems, specifically our child
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It can be hard for foster parents and staff to balance ensuring that a baby is well cared for without taking over the parenting role and sidelining the young parent. Here, Martha Edwards, the director of the Ackerman Institute’s Center for the Developing Child and Family in New York, explains how foster parents and staff can help young parents gain
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