FOSTER CARE & ADOPTION

Voices for Change

Voices for Virginia's Children, the Virginia Poverty Law Center, and FACES for Virginia's Families, in cooperation with ART 180, are once again sponsoring "Voices for Change" and teens in foster care are invited to enter!

Voices Foster Care & Adoption Work

Voices advocates to reform the foster care system in Virginia so that children in foster care have the opportunity to build permanent family connections and have the supports needed to successfully transition to productive adulthood.

Foster care is a program run by the state of Virginia that provides temporary care for children who cannot live with their parents or other relatives.  Through this system, the local department of social services takes legal custody for a child when that child’s parent or parents are unable to care for him or her because of neglect and/or abuse. Placement of a child in foster care should be temporary until a more permanent solution is found.  Preferred options include working with the families to improve conditions in order to return the child to their home, placement with a relative, or adoption.

BECOMING A FOSTER CARE PARENT

For more information on becoming a foster, adoptive, resource or kinship parent, please contact your local department of social services or call 1-888-837-7232.

VOICES FOR CHANGE ART CONTEST

In 2008, Voices and the Virginia Poverty Law Center hosted VOICES FOR CHANGE, an art initiative to amplify the voices of youth in foster care.  Youth were encouraged to submit an original essay, poem, painting, illustration or photograph expressing their feelings about the system.  A high-profile panel of judges, which included best-seller author Adriana Trigiani, reviewed the submissions and selected winners in writing, photography, and two-dimensional art.  In November 2008, First Lady Anne Holton hosted an awards ceremony at the Executive Mansion where the award winners were honored and presented with awards totaling more than $2,500!  A compilation of all the submissions is available in book format.  Details on the 2009 VOICES FOR CHANGE contest coming in April!  

Many thanks to the 2008 VOICES FOR CHANGE sponsors:

SUCCESSES

Past years’ accomplishments in foster care reform include policy changes to stabilize school placements for children even if their foster care placements changed; and a $5.5 million increase in funding for the Department of Social Services over two years to improve staffing for foster care and adoption caseloads.

During 2008, Voices partnered with the Virginia Poverty Law Center to lead the First Lady’s For Keeps initiative in successfully promoting improvements including a 23% increase in payments to adoptive and foster families, improvements in recruitment and retention of foster and adoptive families, and financial incentives for localities to serve children in the community rather than in institutional settings. As a result, 8,000 children in foster care now have a better chance to establish permanent family ties and successfully transition to productive adulthood.

SNAPSHOT OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE

FOSTER CARE POLICY GOALS

• Expand Medicaid Benefits to youth ages 18, 19, and 20 with incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level who were receiving foster care services on their 18th birthday.
• Expand support services to families to prevent foster care placement.
• Expand support for relative caregivers (Kinship Care).

FOSTER CARE PARTNERS IN VIRGINIA

For Keeps, an initiative led by First Lady Anne Holton:  For Keeps is an initiative to find and strengthen permanent family connections for older youth in foster care.  For Keeps is grounded in the belief that all youth deserve and need permanent family connections to become happy and successful adults.

FACES of Virginia Families (Virginia’s Foster, Adoptive and Kinship Association):  FACES of Virginia Families is a non-profit membership-driven Association offering information, support and resources for foster, adoptive and kinship families.  Contact Cate Newbanks, FACES Project Director, for more information.

Virginia Poverty Law Center:  VPLC is a not-for-profit organization concentrating in the following areas of law that affect low-income families: consumer, elder rights, family, health care, housing, and public benefits.

FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION PUBLICATIONS

Voices for Change: The Creative Vision of Virginia's Foster Youth
Download a copy of the collection of works submitted by youth in foster care for the 2008 "Voices for Change" art contest or watch a slideshow of the artworks now.

Foster Care in Virginia: A Place to Call Home (January 2008)

Media statement on report highlighting youth "aging out" of Virginia's foster care system. (May 2007)