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Associated Press
02-06-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Children's Home Society of North Carolina Celebrates Family Reunification Month and the Power of Second Chances
Greensboro, North Carolina, June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This June, Children's Home Society of North Carolina (CHS) proudly joins organizations nationwide in celebrating National Reunification Month, a time to honor the dedication of families who work to overcome challenges and reunite with their children, and the professionals and caregivers who support them on that journey. Reunification is the process of safely returning a child in foster care to their biological family; it is the most common and preferred outcome in child welfare. It supports the belief that, with the right support and services, families can heal, grow, and stay together. In 2022, nearly 46% of children who exited foster care were reunified with a parent or primary caregiver, according to federal data. 'Reunification is a powerful and courageous journey,' said Rebecca Starnes, Chief Program Officer at CHS. 'Families face real hardships such as poverty, mental health struggles, substance use, or lack of community support; however, they also possess incredible resilience. When we provide the tools and relationships needed for stability, children can often return home to parents who are ready and able to care for them.' Youth who have been removed from their homes and placed in foster care need positive relationships and connections with their parents and other family members to maintain the integrity of these bonds. The goal is that they will be able to return home. Foster parents play a critical role in cultivating these relationships by supporting child and parent contact and visitation, which significantly increases the likelihood of successful reunification. At CHS, reunification is more than a goal; it's a core value embedded in every step of our services. Through trauma-informed care, family preservation programs, intensive case management, and wraparound support, CHS works alongside families to help them develop the skills and stability needed to provide a safe, permanent home. An essential part of CHS's reunification support is the Success Coach Program, a voluntary service available to families after reunification has occurred. CHS is the chosen Success Coach provider in 71 of 100 counties in North Carolina. Through regular in-home visits and personalized guidance, Success Coaches help families strengthen communication, build resilience, and develop tools for long-term stability. This ongoing support ensures that reunified families are not only brought back together but are equipped to thrive together. By offering coaching for up to two years, the program helps prevent future crises and reinforces CHS's commitment to lasting, safe permanency. National Reunification Month is a time to acknowledge the hard work of families and the vital role of foster parents, social workers, and community partners in restoring families and futures. CHS especially celebrates its more than 500 licensed CHS foster parents who support reunification every day. 'Keeping families together whenever it's safe to do so is the best possible outcome for children,' said Starnes. 'It allows them to maintain their identity, their connections, and their sense of belonging, and that's what every child deserves.' To learn more about CHS's family preservation and foster care services, visit ### About Children's Home Society of North Carolina Children's Home Society offers a network of services and support throughout North Carolina to help establish and sustain healthy, loving relationships in every family. For 120 years, Children's Home Society has provided a broad spectrum of programs and services including adoption, foster care, parenting education, family preservation, and teen responsibility. Children's Home Society believes in the importance of family, not only in the life of a child but also in the foundation of a community. For more information, visit Becky Alley Children's Home Society of North Carolina 3367061886 [email protected]
CTV News
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
May is Foster Care Month
May is Foster Care Month Assistant Branch Manager at Vancouver SPCA, Mandy Isaacs (& the adorably-fluffy Lexie!) joins CTV Morning Live to mark Foster Care Month!
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Elizabethton mothers say being a mom is 'more than blood'
ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL)—Mother's Day is a time to honor all mother figures in our lives, including those who became mothers in a nontraditional way. The idea of a mother has changed throughout the years. 'A mother is a person who loves, cares for and takes care of,' Elizabethton resident Angie Odom said. 'And it is a woman who shows a lot of strength, a lot of effort every day, day in and day out.' 'Someone who's willing to fight for, stand up for, advocate for, protect, love and nurture a child,' Elizabethton resident Ronda Paulson said. Odom is the founder of the TLC Community Center, which supports mothers and those seeking to adopt. She stated that the distinction of motherhood belongs to both families. 'Many times we'll say, 'Oh, you're a wonderful person because you adopted,'' Odom said. 'But I still feel like these mothers that have chosen adoption are wonderful individuals.' Odom has biological and adopted children. She said there is no difference in her love for both of her girls. 'I've heard people say that before, that there's no difference in between,' she said. 'But there truly isn't at all. You love them just the same. And there's extra protectiveness even sometimes there.' Paulson also has biological and adopted children and has experience as a foster mother. 'It's a bit of a roller coaster,' she said. 'And I know a lot of people are apprehensive about becoming a foster parent. But it was one of the biggest blessings that my husband and I have ever received.' Paulson founded Isaiah 117 House in Elizabethton, which provides housing for children awaiting their foster care placement. On Mother's Day, Paulson said she often thinks of the mothers of her adopted boys, and the mothers who step up. 'Mother's Day, it's tricky for a lot of women,' she said. 'Mother's Day is tricky for me as an adoptive mom. I think about my adoptive sons' mother today. Foster moms, I think of them on Mother's Day. Some of them they're being advocates for children that they believe are not in a safe environment.' Odom and Paulson said being a mother is about more than blood. 'It's really just about the role that you're playing and showing up,' Odom said. 'I think a lot of it is those that show up.' 'When you sign up to be a foster parent, what you're actually saying yes to is a child that needs a parent,' Paulson said. 'Needs a stand-in when they have no one.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
11-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Second Chance at Love: Grieving Nagpur Couple Finds Healing In Foster Care
Nagpur: After the unimaginable grief of losing their only child, a young software engineer working in Australia, a well-to-do couple from Nagpur found their world turned upside down. The grief and aching silence, settled like a heavy fog over their lives, lifted recently due to the voice of a 13-year-old girl — their foster daughter — who is bringing light back into their a deeply moving turn of events, the couple, now in their late 50s, chose to become foster parents under the govt's Foster Care scheme, a lesser-known provision under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. Their decision marks the third successful foster care case in the city and a powerful example of how love and purpose can emerge from profound girl, who was found wandering in Umred taluka at the tender age of six, spent the last seven years in a govt-run home. Though she was safe and cared for, she longed for something more — a family, a home, a place to belong. That longing is finally being all due procedures and participating in several meetings with the girl to ensure mutual comfort, the couple received approval to take her in as their foster daughter. In the next two days, she will step into a home — not just a house — for the first time in timing adds a layer of poignancy to the moment. Just two days after Mother's Day, the woman — who once feared she'd never get to be a mother again — will finally have the chance to give love, warmth, and guidance to a daughter who needs it just as couple's journey from heartbreak to hope was supported by the tireless efforts of officials working behind the scenes. Under the guidance of district women and child development officer Ranjit Kure, and on-ground efforts by district child protection officer Mushtaq Pathan and protection officer Vinod Shende, the foster care initiative is quietly transforming lives in Nagpur."The girl is excited. She has met the couple a few times and feels comfortable. After following due procedure and multiple meetings with the girl, the foster care was approved. The girl will be handed over to the family in the next two days," said an official closely involved in the district has already seen two successful foster care placements. One child was taken in by a govt employee, and another by a college professor. Both children are now attending English-medium schools and adjusting well to their new lives. Regular follow-ups ensure that both children and parents are receiving the support they need. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Mother's Day wishes , messages , and quotes !
