Our Vision
To provide a safe, nurturing alternative for children in foster care that addresses their emotional, physical, educational and developmental needs. To create an environment that builds their self-esteem, reduces the number of placements these children often endure and creates stability in their educational experience.
Is There a Need? Most definitely
- Newport News ranks 2nd in the state (behind Richmond) for the number of children in foster care
- 415-500 children are in foster care in Newport News and we only have 110 certified foster homes in Newport News (one or two emergency homes)
- Due to foster home shortage, children are often placed in other cities (without easy access to family, Social Services and case workers, schools, courts or therapy), in therapeutic group homes (costing more than regular home environment) and in some cases, put in Juvenile Detention
- Foster homes are often single-parent households (38%+) that can be struggling financially
- 60% of foster children don’t complete high school.
- Children graduating from foster care have higher crime rates, homelessness rates, teen pregnancy rates and are more likely to have children who later enter the foster care system (See research articles)
Sadly, the opportunity for abuse and further neglect can occur again in foster homes
Objective
Provide for a child’s basic needs—and more:
- Security and safety in warm, inviting atmosphere
- Mental and physical health services through partnerships
- Build a network for the children-- friendships with peers and relationships with Mentors and other volunteers from the community
- Provide much needed stability and routine
- Emphasize education and the opportunities it creates
- Easy access for children to their Guardian Ad Litems, Social Workers, CASA workers and health providers
- Achieve more successful placements and permanency for children by matching with foster or adoptive parents with advance meetings and counseling and other services as needed
How We Envision Providing for Children’s Needs
- Clean, safe environment in modern or updated facility
- Ability to house children from a range of ages—particularly focusing on young sibling groups – keeping what family we can together for their sake
- Serve healthy and enjoyable food and use as tool to teach about nutrition
- Medical and dental attention on-site by visiting and on-site staff
- On-site counseling facilities
- Consistency: school, staff, schedule, children/peers, minimize “surprises”
- Recreation room with ping-pong table, computers, board games, television.
- Outdoor recreation space—basketball court and playground equipment for younger children
- Minimize risk of child’s isolation in remote location foster homes where it’s harder for workers to follow-up on child’s welfare (compounded by DSS workload and geography of children in care)
- Work with school districts for support—buses, tutors, counseling, after-school programs, sports, and clubs
- On-site library with quiet areas to read and study
- Secure facility with guards on site 24/7 and careful screening of visitors
Whole Child Approach
Change the Future by Changing Our Approach
- Benefit of stable, safe, nurturing, environment where children thrive and focus on education
- Children who have an opportunity to connect and build friendships with one-another (especially important for children with no siblings in the system)
- Children who beat the statistics—graduate, stay “clean”—free from the trap of drugs, crime, early pregnancy, homelessness, etc., ….children who complete college or trade school and become productive citizens of the community
- Children who break the cycle!
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