Fredericksburg Parent

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 37 INTERVIEWED BY EMILY FREEHLING Pandemic Shone a Light on the Importance of Connections Children's Home Society Sponsored Material Children's Home Society continued its work to build permanent families for foster youth When schools, offices, restaurants and family gatherings were closed or cancelled to slow the spread of COVID-19, many of us struggled with the loss of regular connections with the people in our lives. "The pandemic has definitely shone a light for all of us on the challenges that come with feeling isolated, with feeling separated from families or not having someone there for us," said Nadine Marsh-Carter, CEO of Children's Home Society of Virginia and an adoptive parent of two. "These are feelings that the population that we serve—children who are waiting for families—experience every day." For more than 120 years, Children's Home Society of Virginia has worked to place foster children in permanent adoptive homes. The organization recruits families, trains them to thrive in their relationships with their adoptive children and provides post-adoption supports to both parents and children. All of these activities were made more challenging when the pandemic shut down most in-per- son activities in 2020, but staff members pressed on. They used Zoom and other virtual tools to interview prospective families and understand the needs of individual children. Socially distanced in-person meetings helped ensure that adoptions could continue as the crisis wore on. Training and post-adoption support were delivered virtually as the year went on. That continuity is important, because Virginia ranks 50th among the nation's 50 states in its rate of finding adoptive homes for children before they age out of the foster care system. "This very high percentage of youth who are aging out of foster care without the supports and connections they need to thrive ultimately has a negative impact on our entire community," said Marsh-Carter. Children in the foster care system have already suffered the trauma of abuse, neglect and aban- donment. The support of a permanent adoptive family can change their lives forever, and set them on a path of healing and growth. "Children who are not adopted into permanent families are at higher risk for incarceration, homelessness, teen pregnancy and dropping out of high school because they have missed growing up with the positive influences, supports and opportunities being part of a permanent family provides," Marsh-Carter noted. Post-Adoption Social Worker Anna Yates said the training and post-adoption sup- port Children's Home Society provides is key to making new adoptive relationships successful. "These children have been through a lot of loss and a lot of hurt," Yates said. "What they need are families coming into it with a full understanding. That is where the training comes in. We are big on mak- ing sure the families we train really have an understanding of what it is going to look like." The agency continues to provide train- ing and post-adoption support, and to recruit new families. Marsh-Carter says it's important that the needs of these chil- dren not get lost amid the huge flow of pandemic-related events and information. While many of the most severe impacts of pandemic closures on society, such as depression, food insecurity and learn- ing loss, can be traced to a lack of fam- ily support, strong families can act as a preventative for these ills as the country emerges from this crisis. "Finding homes for these amazing young people is a win-win-win," Marsh-Carter said. "Children win when they are with a permanent family. Families win when they bring children into their home. And soci- ety benefits. Healthy families are a cor- nerstone of a healthy community. When children are in stable, loving homes, the whole society wins." While adoption is the primary goal, Children's Home Society also provides support to young people as they age out of the foster care program. CHS's My Path Forward program is a partnership that offers housing and support services to aged-out foster youth in Virginia. The Children's Home Society team has worked diligently to help youth in this program overcome the many challenges COVID-19 created as they work and attend college. For more information, visit CHSVA.org.

• Cover