A publication dedicated to making foster care and adoption in North Carolina the best they can be
In a crisis, most of us turn instinctively to the people we know we can count on, no matter what the problem is. We turn to family. This is something child welfare agencies in North Carolina understand. When a child or youth enters foster care, family members and “like-family” friends are often the first ones agencies approach to care for
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by Jonathan Rockoff • When Tyson Robertson was growing up, he and his mother spent time in a homeless shelter while she struggled with substance use disorder. Soon after he was out on his own, it became clear his mother was heading down the same path. Only this time, it would be his siblings, Tyshawn and Tyanna, who’d be staying
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by Jonathan Rockoff • If you provide kinship care, what I’m about to say will not be surprising: your circumstances and daily experiences are likely much different than “traditional,” non-relative foster parents. In this article I want to do more than provide tips on how to care for yourself as a kinship caregiver. After all, you’re likely aware of what
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by Jeanne Preisler • My niece was born when I was 12. I remember whispering in her ear that I would always take care of her. It is a promise I try to keep even today, nearly 40 years later. My mother served as her primary caregiver on and off for most of my teenage years. I remember playing baby
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Because the child welfare system is complex, it can be frustrating even for those who work in it. For kinship caregivers, who often find themselves involved in the system with little or no time to prepare, it can be confusing and even intimidating. To help, following is a brief overview of some basic things every kinship caregiver should know about
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Licensed kinship care resembles nonrelative foster care. In both, the county DSS has legal custody of the children. Like all states, NC has requirements (e.g., training, background checks, etc.) that non-kin foster parents must meet before they can care for children in foster care. In NC, kinship caregivers must meet these same requirements to be licensed as a foster parent.
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by Emily • I was 12 years old when the department of social services first entered my family’s life. My siblings and I were placed in my grandmother’s home. The term was called “kinship care.” As a result of the things I went through with my mom, I was very angry. Looking back, I can say that I was a
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We are struggling with raising our nephew, who is placed in our home. The child welfare agency has made some effort to support us, but it is not helping. We are completely overwhelmed and thinking about giving up. Help! It shows great strength to reach out for help. It sounds like you’ve made it through some milestones but need additional
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The Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina is excited to announce its Summit series, Together We Can! Our first summit was held Sept 21, 2019 in Gaston County and was a great success. Thank you Gaston County DHHS for all of your hard work and dedication in leading and holding this event. We are currently scheduling two summits for spring
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The NC Division of Social Services is proud to offer fosteringNC.org, a learning site for our state’s resource parents. This site features online courses, webinar recordings, videos and podcasts, and answers to frequently asked questions. Free courses include: Supporting the Transition into Adulthood. This 1-hour course teaches strategies resource parents can use—including North Carolina’s LINKS goals and Transitional Living Plan—to
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