Vol. 18, No. 1 • November 2013

A Message from the NC Foster and Adoptive Parent Association

In August 2013 Maurita Miller, President of the NC Foster and Adoptive Parent Association, resigned her position due to personal reasons. We are sorry to see her go! The Association would like to take this opportunity to thank Maurita for her service and to wish her all the best in everything her future holds.

A Proud History
Our association was established 38 years ago to support foster families. In 2005 the association added "adoptive" to its name, reflecting the reality that a great many foster parents become forever families for children in foster care.

Over the past four decades, the Association has done a lot for foster and adoptive parents and kin caregivers in North Carolina. Our achievements include:

• A popular annual training conference that for many years provided an opportunity for foster, adoptive, and kinship parents to gather for much needed training, networking, celebration, and mutual support;
• Technical assistance and support for foster and adoptive parents and local associations; and
• Advocacy efforts for children in North Carolina's foster care system. Our efforts in this area contributed to legislative increases in the foster care board rate (in 2003 and again in 2008). And we continue to advocate the "Raise the Age" campaign, an effort to change current state laws that automatically waive children age 16 and older to adult court when they break the law.

A Difficult Few Years
The past few years have been tough on nonprofit organizations everywhere, and the NCFAPA has not been immune. Many agencies and associations have had to shutter their windows and close their doors.

Though we've struggled, the NCFAPA will not be closing its doors. We will continue because foster and adoptive parents in our state need support and advocacy more than ever.

A Transition Period
However, we are going through a major transition. Longtime past President Stacey Darbee has stepped forward to lead and oversee this transition period. Goals for the near future include:

• Setting up an information website to keep parents apprised of local, state, and national news related to foster care and adoption;
• Email and social media communication with parents; and
• Surveying and assessing what parents need and how NCFAPA can reposition itself to help meet those needs.

Unfortunately for the foreseeable future we will not be able to do training or personally support individual needs.

We truly believe that after this reevaluation the NCFAPA will reemerge stronger, ready to be the leader and the voice of all foster and adoptive parents in North Carolina once again.

Our Mission: to promote quality foster and adoptive services through collaborative advocacy, education, resources, reunification efforts, and networking.

 

~ Family and Children's Resource Program, UNC-CH School of Social Work ~