A publication dedicated to making foster care and adoption in North Carolina the best they can be
by Jodi Franck • Our entire world changed drastically and quickly with the emergence of COVID-19 in the United States and North Carolina. Licensing of foster homes had to change and adjust, too. After Governor Cooper declared a state of emergency in March 2020, foster care agencies and the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) began identifying
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November is National Adoption month! We use this month to honor families who have adopted and raise awareness about the urgent need for adoptive families for children and youth in foster care. When reunification is not possible and an alternative plan is required, adoption is one way to achieve permanency. Right now there are hundreds of children and youth waiting
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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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by Jessica Dym Bartlett, Jessica Griffin, Dana Thomson • The following guidance, recommendations, and resources are provided by child trauma experts at Child Trends and the Child Trauma Training Center at the University of Massachusetts. The Center is housed at the University of Massachusetts with Child Trends as the lead evaluating agency, with funding from SAMHSA and the National Child
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SaySo is excited to be one of the main stakeholders in North Carolina partnering with the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative. SaySo has a dedicated alumni staff co-chairing the project’s design team and at least five other alumni participating in strategic think tank sessions. On April 29, 2019, North Carolina partners joined the Jim Casey Initiative
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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 Janet Drake • When a child is at risk of out-of-home placement or enters the custody of a North Carolina county department of social services, family members often step up to care for the child. Although these families have unique needs and challenges, they typically do not have professionals available to help them navigate the complex systems they face
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Kinship care plays an essential role in North Carolina. Of the 11,646 children in DSS custody in our state on July 31, 2019, 2,636 (22.7%) were placed with relatives, most of whom were unlicensed. Placements for NC Children in DSS Custody on July 31, 2019* * This figure does not reflect the many people in North Carolina who act as
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Hello foster, adoptive, and kindship families. How can we help you? In October, Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina (FFA-NC) established 1-800-578-7770, a toll-free number for families or anybody with questions regarding becoming a resource family. So far we have had families call our 800 number regarding: the challenges of getting licensed because of water on or near their property,
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