A publication dedicated to making foster care and adoption in North Carolina the best they can be
Alexis (age 14) There is something that attracts others to be around this beautiful young lady. It may be her engaging personality or that stunning smile. Alexis is a pleasure to be around and she never meets a stranger. Alexis dreams of joining a family she will be able to connect with, that will love her unconditionally, and provide her
Read more
by Kelly Sullivan • Human development is phenomenal. We enter this world completely reliant on others for survival, yet eventually we become self-reliant. This is not a smooth process. Instead, development is often a bumpy road with nail-biting detours that can give caregivers gray hair. Developmental transitions for children and youth in foster care can be even more erratic due
Read more
Youth in foster care face unique challenges as they transition to adulthood. To learn more about what it takes to support youth during this critical time, we spoke with North Carolina foster parents Tony and Wanda Douglas. In their 17 years as foster parents, the Douglases have fostered over 100 children and adopted four. They also train foster parents on
Read more
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
Read more
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
Read more
House Bill 630 (S.L. 2017-41) is strengthening NC’s social service system Known as Rylan’s Law, the Family and Child Protection and Accountability Act will serve as the foundation for changes in how the North Carolina Division of Social Services (NC DSS) and the 100 county department of social services offices serve children and families. We are committed to keeping our
Read more
by Angela Quijada • Resilience, to me, is the ability to constantly and quickly bounce back in any situation that exerts physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual stress. All of us are born with some resilience. Some people build most of theirs as they grow. They have both a genetic connection to resilience and life experiences that give them an opportunity
Read more
by Claudia Kearney It is not talked about much, but teen dating violence is extremely common. Nearly 1.5 million high school students a year are physically abused by a dating partner. The violence is not always physical—it can also be sexual or emotional. Statistics show that one in three adolescents is a victim of physical, sexual, or emotional violence in
Read more
The Numbers. One in three young people in foster care is an adolescent. Of the 10,282 children in foster care in North Carolina on February 29, 2016, 28.79% (n=2,959) were between the ages of 13 and 21 (Duncan, et al., 2016). Where They Live. Many do not live with a family, even though state policy says all children should be
Read more
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
Read more