A publication dedicated to making foster care and adoption in North Carolina the best they can be
SaySo (Strong Able Youth Speaking Out), is a statewide, North Carolina-based association of youth aged 14 to 24 who are or have been in out-of-home care. This includes all types of substitute care, including foster care, group homes, and mental health placements. Every year on the first Saturday in March, SaySo holds a gathering where youth from all over North
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by Shanita Dildy-Goings • I was 13 years old when my foster parents first proposed adopting my big sister and me. My big sister said that she would think about it, but I knew she had already made up her mind not to take them up on their offer. They were not bad parents, just not the parent she truly
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SaySo welcomes Cherie Watlington as the new SaySo Program Coordinator. Cherie grew up in North Carolina. After graduating from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (A&T) with a Bachelor in Social Work, she attended North Carolina State University and earned a Masters in Social Work. She is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Cherie’s work experience includes facilitating batterer
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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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The Mission of SaySo Is to work to improve the substitute care system by educating the community, speaking out about needed changes, and providing support to youth who are or have been in substitute care. Membership Youth and Young Adults: Those who have been in any level of substitute care and are between the ages of 14-24 years of age.
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SaySo Welcomes New Program Coordinator SaySo is pleased to announce its new full-time Program Coordinator, Ms. LeAnn McKoy. A native of Columbus County, Ms. LeAnn earned her bachelor’s from ECU and is pursuing a master’s degree in Public Administration from UNC – Pembroke. Ms. LeAnn worked in several county departments of social services in a variety of service areas. She
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On July 1, 2018, Children’s Home Society of North Carolina welcomed SaySo to its family of programs. SaySo, Strong Able Youth Speaking Out, is a statewide association of youth aged 14 to 24 who are, or have been, in the out-of-home care system in North Carolina, including foster care, group homes, and mental health placements. Its mission is to improve
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by Chaney Stokes • The success of SaySo is due at least in part to the support and involvement of North Carolina’s foster parents. Now that we are in our 20th year, we need the involvement of foster parents more than ever to help us support the success of youth in foster care. To help explain why, I’d like to
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Mark Your Calendar for SaySo Saturday 2018! SaySo, Inc. is preparing to celebrate its 20th birthday on Saturday, March 3, 2018! Location is yet to be determined. Follow us on Facebook @saysoinc for updated information. This yearly event known as “SaySo Saturday.” It is our largest conference every year and it’s FREE to youth, young adults who are or have
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SaySo is pleased to announce that on August 10, 2015, Carmelita Coleman joined us as SaySo’s executive director. SaySo is a statewide association made up of youth who are or have been in out-of-home care. Its mission is to improve the substitute care system by educating the community, speaking out about needed changes, and supporting youth who are or have
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