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Adoption Program Expands to Find Homes for Older Children
15-year-old Nick – Children's Home Society of North Carolina
GREENSBORO, NC – Coinciding with National Adoption Month, Children’s Home Society of North Carolina is announcing a significant expansion of a statewide program to find loving and permanent homes for older children languishing in foster care.
In partnership with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Social Services, Children’s Home Society will expand the Foundation’s signature program, Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, an intensive child-focused recruitment program, within county social services agencies across the state.
“Older youth who are adopted are more likely to finish high school, go to college, be employed, and lead more stable lives than those who age out of foster care with no permanent family,” said Sharon Barlow, Director of the Division of Children’s Services in Guilford County. “We know that being connected to a family makes a life-long difference.”
“I don’t want to be in foster care until I’m 18,” said 15-year-old Nick, still longing for a family and a place to call home after 10 years in foster care. A big fan of participation sports, camping and fishing, Nick dreams of becoming a mechanic and designing cars when he grows up. A sincere, determined, and polite boy, Nick likes going to the YMCA, the library, and church.
“Expanding the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program and using its child-focused recruitment model means more children like Nick will leave foster care faster and find safe, loving, and permanent families,” said Rebecca Starnes, Vice President of Children’s Home Society of North Carolina. “Compared to one year ago, we are nearly tripling the size of this program from 13 to 35 caseworkers.”
In an independent study by Child Trends, children in foster care were up to three times more likely to be adopted when using the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids child-focused recruitment program, compared to children receiving traditional adoption services from community and public agencies.
An essential difference between the child-focused recruitment program and traditional services is smaller caseloads, giving each child as much attention as he or she needs and deserves and focusing on appropriate adults already in the child’s life.
“The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is driven by a single goal: finding a loving and permanent family for every child waiting to be adopted from foster care,” said Rita Soronen, President & CEO of the Foundation. “We have a successful and growing relationship with Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, who shares our core value of assuring a home for every child in need.”
The children served by the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program are those who have been in foster care the longest. Most are older than age 8; more than one-third had six or more foster homes; and, about half have been in foster care for more than four years.
“These children are just like any other child,” said Soronen. “They’ve simply had a rough start in life.”
“On any given day there are thousands of children in need of families in North Carolina,” said Starnes. “Individuals or families interested in adopting Nick, siblings, or another child, should call Children’s Home Society. We will guide parents-to-be through the adoption process.” (800-632-1400)
Informational programs for adoptive parents and foster parents are held every month in cities across the state. During November, meetings will occur in Asheville, Belmont, Burlington, Charlotte, Elizabeth City, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Greenville, Lenoir, Morganton, Wilmington, Winston-Salem, Durham County and Wake County. Click here for dates and times
Individuals and organizations can make a positive difference in the lives of youth in foster care by contributing time, goods or services, or by giving to the annual Little Red Stocking Fund for the holidays.
Founded in 1902, Children’s Home Society of North Carolina serves more than 20,000 children and families each year with the mission of promoting the right of every child to a permanent, safe and loving family.
Contact:
Dillard Spring
Children’s Home Society of North Carolina
800-632-1400 ext. 550
Mary Ellen Smalley
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
614-764-8437
Robert B Butler
Communications | Public Relations
Permission granted for reprint and redistribution
#FosterCare #Adoption #DaveThomasFoundationforAdoption #DTFA #ChildrensHomeSocietyNC #CHSNC #NorthCarolina #MattAnderson #RebeccaStarnes #RitaSoronen #ChildFocusedRecruitment #CFR #DSS #SharonBarlow #GuilfordCounty #NorthCarolina #NCLEG
Over 121,000 Investigated Cases of Child Abuse and Neglect in North Carolina
“Too many families are struggling and under severe stress” – Rebecca Starnes, Children’s Home Society NC
Children's Home Society of North Carolina – Photography by Suzanne Tucker
GREENSBORO, NC – Early data shows there were over 121,000 investigated cases of child abuse and neglect in North Carolina during fiscal year July 2016 through June 2017. State law requires individuals or institutions suspecting child abuse or neglect to report cases to the Division of Social Services (DSS) for investigation (G.S. 7B-301).
“The high number of children impacted by neglect or abuse indicates too many families are struggling and under severe stress,” said Rebecca Starnes, Vice President of Children’s Home Society of North Carolina. “Abuse and neglect can be the product of a number of issues facing families, including poverty, working multiple jobs to make ends meet, high levels of stress, unrealistic expectations of children, mental health challenges, or substance abuse.”
“DSS is an advocate and fail-safe for the more than 2.2 million children and their families in our state,” said Starnes. “This vital service is provided by dedicated and hard-working staff in all 100-counties across North Carolina.”
DSS staff investigates and assesses all suspected cases of child abuse and neglect; diagnoses the problem with the family; provides in-home services to help keep families together; coordinates community and agency services; or, petitions the court for removal of the child from the home, if necessary.
Nearly 70-percent of the abuse and neglect cases were reported by educational personnel, medical personnel, law courts, and human services. Approximately 30-percent were referred by relatives, non-relatives, parents, or care providers. Child victims reported fewer than one-percent of the cases.
“There are different reasons for and levels of abuse and neglect,” said Starnes. “The hopeful news is that families have support. Parents can learn about their children’s needs and learn new, better ways to react. Parents can change their behavior, and even if they’ve had problems or challenges in the past, the majority can provide a safe, loving, and permanent home for their child.”
Following the investigation of reported cases in 2016-17, around 45-percent of the findings indicated that services were needed, recommended, or have been provided. Services were not recommended for 40-percent of the cases, and about 16-percent were determined to be unsubstantiated.
“Depending on the specific needs of children and families,” said Starnes, “Children’s Home Society and other organizations partner with DSS and provide a variety of options including intensive family preservation services (support and education in the home), family education programs, foster care, and adoption services.”
Demographically, the male-female ratio of investigated cases was virtually even at 51 to 49-percent. Almost 40-percent of the cases were ages 0 to 5, with 39-percent ages 6 to 12. Roughly 20-percent of the children were ages 13-17.
Rebecca Starnes, Vice President Programs and Quality Improvement, Children's Home Society of NC
“Most of our abuse and neglect cases require intensive family preservation services,” said Starnes. “Teaming with DSS, our specialists work with the child and family daily, providing the education and resources they need to understand and overcome their problems and develop healthier family relationships.”
“The success rate of the intensive family preservation program is remarkable,” said Starnes. “Over 95-percent of the families completed the program. Six months following completion, 98-percent of the children are still in the home in a situation deemed safe by DSS.”
According to Starnes, abuse and neglect impacts rural and urban areas, crosses all socio-economic lines and includes every race.
Approximately 51-percent of the investigated cases of abuse and neglect last year were Caucasian. African-Americans made up the second largest segment with about 36-percent, followed by Hispanic at around 11-percent. All other races combined, including American Indian and Alaskan, were roughly 13-percent of the investigated cases.
“Partnerships with the staff of DSS are critical to achieving success for the child. One organization could not do the work alone,” said Starnes. “We all want children to be in safe, loving, and permanent families, and we’re working together to do what we can to help make that happen.”
Children’s Home Society of North Carolina helps support more than 20,000 children and families annually through a diverse array of services including adoption, foster care, parenting education, teen pregnancy prevention, and family preservation programs.
Contact:
Dillard Spring
Children’s Home Society of North Carolina
800-632-1400 ext. 550
Source: Data are provided by the Jordan Institute for Families, part of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work.
Investigated Cases w/demographic data
Investigated Cases w/Type of Finding
Investigated Cases w/Referral Source
Note: The above links include 12-months of data for 2016-17, plus adjustments made in August and September. Data for 2016-17 will continue to "stabilize" for another 30-60 days.
Robert B Butler
Communications | Public Relations
Permission granted for reprint and redistribution
#NorthCarolina #DSS #Abuse #Neglect #FamilyPreservation #Adoption #FosterCare #RebeccaStarnes #ChildrensHomeSocietyNC #CHSNC #FamilyFinding #ChildSpecificRecruiting
Children in Foster Care in NC Surpasses 11,000
Children’s Home Society Intensifies Response
Rebecca Starnes, Vice President Programs and Quality Improvement, CHSNC
GREENSBORO, NC – In May 2017, a steadily rising number of children in foster care broke the 11,000 mark, the highest level in 10 years and a nearly 28 percent increase over the last five years.
In response to the increasing needs of children in North Carolina, Children’s Home Society is implementing an aggressive four-year strategic plan and realignment that will allow it to double the number of adoptions completed and the number of children served by family finding and enhanced foster care to permanency programs. CHS will triple the number of children served by child specific recruitment, designed to find permanent homes for children who have been in foster care the longest.
Two members of the Children’s Home Society of North Carolina senior leadership team are being promoted and will assume added responsibilities as the agency undergoes this significant growth.
“Children’s Home Society has more than 100 years of experience in responding to the greatest needs of children and families, and we are poised to do more to help the growing number of children in crisis today,” said Brian Maness, President & CEO of CHS.
Rebecca Starnes, as Vice President of Programs and Quality Improvement, will be responsible for leadership of family education services and intensive services to preserve families, reunite children in foster care with extended relatives, and place the longest-waiting children in foster care with adoptive families.
Matt Anderson, Vice President Programs and Business Development, CHSNC
Matt Anderson, as Vice President of Programs and Business Development, will lead foster care and adoption services, post-adoption services, public policy, governmental affairs, and grants management.
“As CHS continues to adapt to meet the needs of children and families today and in the future, we are very fortunate to have these two CHS leaders who are positioned to take on significantly expanded leadership roles,” Maness said. “Rebecca and Matt have the benefit of having worked closely together as members of our executive team, as well as through the development and implementation of our most recent strategic plan.”
“The need is great for permanent, safe, and loving families for children at risk in North Carolina. We are excited to take on this challenge with strong leadership,” Maness added.
Starnes has provided and led programs for parents and youth for more than 20 years. She was the Coordinator for Family Programs for the Family Life Council before serving as the Co-Director of that organization. Starnes joined Children’s Home Society through a merger with Family Life Council in 2010. She has led the Family Life Education Division as Vice President and served on the CHS Executive Leadership Team since then. The Family Life Education division tripled in size over the past seven years.
“All children deserve the love and support of family, yet family relationships can be challenging. I am excited to work with these innovative programs focused on protecting and creating strong, healthy families,” Starnes said.
Anderson joined Children’s Home Society in 2011. He has held several increasingly responsible roles since then and most recently served as Vice President of Strategic Advancement. Before his time with CHS, Anderson worked nationally on child welfare reform initiatives. He produced an award-winning documentary on children aging out of foster care, worked in many states and with Congress on important child welfare legislation, and managed child welfare programs in Montana prior to moving to North Carolina.
“Children’s Home Society has a proud history of strengthening families and creating loving homes for children in need. I am honored and humbled to lead a talented and dedicated team of social workers, and I am excited to see the impact we are going to have for children and families across North Carolina,” Anderson said.
CHS helps support more than 20,000 children and families annually through a diverse array of services including adoption, foster care, parenting education, teen pregnancy prevention, and family preservation programs.
Contact:
Dillard Spring
Children’s Home Society of North Carolina
800-632-1400 ext. 550
Robert B Butler
Communications | Public Relations
Permission granted for reprint and redistribution
#Adoption #FosterCare #MattAnderson #BrianManess #RebeccaStarnes #ChildrensHomeSocietyNC #CHSNC #NorthCarolina #WiseGuys #FamilyPreservation #FamilyFinding #ChildSpecificRecruiting
Wise Guys Help Break the Cycle of Teenage Pregnancy
Myers Park High students Manpreet Singh, William Miller, and Theodore White
CHSNC Educator, Jeff Rothberg (L-R) – Courtesy of CHSNC
GREENSBORO, NC – In 2015, there were nearly 10,000 teenage pregnancies in North Carolina. “Teen parents are less likely to finish high school, less likely to be well employed, and less likely to be in committed and stable relationships,” said Rick Brown, Youth Education Program Director at Children’s Home Society of North Carolina. “These outcomes are passed on to their children, who may, in turn, grow up and repeat those cycles.”
Ramping up its male-responsibility campaign to curb teenage pregnancy, Children’s Home Society is expanding the Wise Guys program, targeting teen males, a segment often overlooked and underserved when it comes to addressing teen pregnancy.
“The Wise Guys program empowers young men to make smart decisions regarding relationships,” said Brown. “By teaching pregnancy prevention and positive choices, we equip these young men to break detrimental cycles and become supportive, loving boyfriends, husbands, and fathers in the future.”
“Wise Guys began in Guilford County, North Carolina. We received a grant to expand, so we’re now in eleven counties in the state, plus cities and towns in Arizona, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, and New York,” said Brown. “The Wise Guys program has been implemented in over 320 communities nationwide.”
Charlotte’s Myers Park High School, the largest in North Carolina with over 2,800 students, incorporates the Wise Guys curriculum during health class. “The class is very upbeat and interactive,” said 18-year-old graduating senior Will Miller. “While abstinence is taught as the best way, the program teaches everything you need to know. If you choose different options, they want you to be safe. We also engaged in conversations about a wide range of topics, like avoiding the male stereotype, the rape culture, consent, partying, promiscuity, morals, and values.”
“One of the biggest things I got out of Wise Guys is that we see ourselves, young men, in a certain way that isn’t viable to everybody,” said Miller. “What we think a man should be, perhaps shaped by the movie culture or advertising, is not necessarily the best thing.”
“My instructor was very beneficial,” Miller said. “He brought the perfect amount of information and humor for a productive environment. I learned a lot about other people and myself. Wise Guys is one of the courses I will value most coming out of high school.”
Miller’s teacher, Jeff Rothberg, Educator for Children’s Home Society, teaches the Wise Guys program at Myers Park High School, East Mecklenburg High School, community centers in the Charlotte area, and works with youth offenders in Mecklenburg County Jail North.
“I would love to see Wise Guys spread across North Carolina and the nation,” said Rothberg. “The program is evidence-based and effective.” Six-month outcomes shared by Brown reveal significant improvements in student’s knowledge of anatomy and physiology, improved sex role attitudes, improved communication with parents about sex, and increased contraceptive use.
“Children’s Home Society of North Carolina provides training and certification to schools and organizations seeking to offer the Wise Guys program,” said Rothberg. “Funding models vary all over the country with backing provided by cities, towns, counties, state government, foundations, and women’s organizations.”
Wise Guys is available in the following NC counties: Alamance, Forsyth, Gaston, Guilford, Iredell, Johnston, Lenoir, Mecklenburg, Randolph, Rockingham, and Wayne.
“If we teach these boys how to be better young men and avoid the stereotypical traps, they will grow up to have healthier and happier relationships with their partners, with their own children growing up in a stable home,” said Rothberg. “That is the mission of Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, a safe, loving, and permanent home for every child.”
Tony Casas, Wise Guys Educator, Greensboro
Contact:
Aimee Kensky
336-369-3813
Dillard Spring
Children’s Home Society of North Carolina
800-632-1400 ext. 550
Robert B Butler
Communications | Public Relations
Permission granted for reprint and redistribution
#Adoption #FosterCare #TeenPregnancy #WiseGuys #JeffRothberg #RickBrown #WilliamMiller #ChildrensHomeSocietyNC #CHSNC #NorthCarolina #BrianManess #MyersParkHighSchool #Charlotte #SexEducation
Children Aging Out of Foster Care Soars 10.4% in North Carolina
Adopted! Joni Morris with son Scott, adopted at 18
GREENSBORO, NC – Recently released figures show a huge jump of 10.4-percent in youth aging out of foster care in North Carolina in 2016 compared to 2015. These are the highest numbers since data compilation began 16-years ago in mid-2000.
“I’m a firm believer that people should consider adopting older children,” said Joni Morris of Lexington, NC. “They want to be loved and accepted. That’s what everybody wants. They deserve a chance in life, an opportunity to have a future and a forever family. I believe that with my whole heart. It’s so sad they were thrown a curve ball.”
Already with four biological children, Tim and Joni Morris were inspired to adopt Scott, at age 18, and Scott’s sister Casey, at age 16. “I felt like the world was going to turn its back on me,” said Scott, describing the feeling as a young man aging out of a group home without a family. “I felt like the people that I knew were just going to throw me out.”
Youth aging out of foster care without the support structure of a safe, permanent, and loving family, face tremendous odds transitioning successfully into adulthood. Challenges frequently include an absence of mentorship, homelessness or inadequate housing, incomplete education, a cycle of low paying or no jobs, early parenthood, health issues, hopelessness, substance abuse, and sometimes, incarceration.
In and out of foster care and group homes since age 11, Scott “didn’t think about dreaming,” and could not see a future. “I would most likely be living on the street, and that’s a scary thought. It was very difficult to deal with. Actually, I didn’t know how to deal with it.”
Following his adoption by the Morris family, Scott completed high school and is now in his third-year apprenticeship with Salem Electric. After one more year, Scott will take his test and become a certified electrician.
With a permanent family, an education, and bright career prospects, Scott is now able to dream. “Hopefully, I will get a house on my own and focus on making a family,” said Scott. “The help of a family who has been through a lot in the world is helping me a lot. It’s a lot of wisdom poured into me.”
The Morris Family – Front (LR): Scott, Elise, Casey, Hunter, Back (LR): Ashton, Tim, Joni, Zach
“They’re good, solid human beings and are going to add so much to society,” said Joni. “I love them. I love them like they’re my very own children. Adoption has completed our family.”
“I can’t say enough good things about Children’s Home Society of North Carolina,” said Joni. “They loved my kids, they loved Scott and Casey and wanted to make sure this was a fit for all. With the social workers from DSS, they all came together to help us in this process and make this adoption happen.”
To learn more about the foster care and adoption crisis in North Carolina and how you can help, Children’s Home Society will host the annual A Place to Call Home banquets in Raleigh on April 27, Charlotte on May 11, and Greensboro on May 18. The featured speaker will be Steve Pemberton, mentally and physically abused for eleven years, aged out of foster care, and now a Fortune 500 executive with Walgreen’s. Pemberton will share his incredible story from despair to success, and the tremendous impact of small acts of kindness by other people in his life. For more information, https://www.chsnc.org/donate-today/a-place-to-call-home/
Steve Pemberton
“Foster care and adoption are in a state of crisis,” said Brian Maness, President and CEO of Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, the state’s largest private provider of foster care and adoption services. “Foster care has been growing at an alarming rate with a shortage of permanent, safe, and loving homes for adoptable children.”
Founded in 1902, Children’s Home Society serves over 20,000 children and families in all 100 counties in North Carolina.
Contact:
Dillard Spring
Children’s Home Society of North Carolina
DSpring@CHSNC.org
800-632-1400 ext. 550
Robert B Butler
Communications | Public Relations
Permission granted for reprint and redistribution
#FosterCare #Adoption #FamilyFinding #ChildRecruitmentSpecialists #StevePemberton #Walgreens #ChildrensHomeSocietyNC #CHSNC #NorthCarolina #APlacetoCallHome #BrianManess #ScottMorris #JoniMorris #AgingOut #TimMorris
The Duke Endowment Weighs in to Help NC Children in Crisis
Adopted! – Courtesy of Children's Home Society of North Carolina
GREENSBORO, NC – Children’s Home Society will receive support from a long-term ally to help scale up proven programs to battle North Carolina’s foster care crisis. Among a growing list of concerned organizations and individuals, The Duke Endowment announced a 4-year, $3.7-million grant to expand foster care, early intervention, and prevention services across the state.
“James B. Duke set a course for his philanthropy to enrich lives in a multitude of ways across North and South Carolina,” said Phil Redmond, Jr., Director of The Duke Endowment’s Child Care program area. “Today, we continue our journey together with Children’s Home Society of North Carolina to help vulnerable children lead more successful lives.”
According to Brian Maness, President and CEO of Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, foster care is in a state of crisis, increasing every month in 2016 compared to the same period in the prior year.
At the end of 2016, there were 10,524 children in foster care with about 2,400 children eligible for adoption.
“Last year, we were able to place only 12 percent of the children referred to us,” said Maness. “We need to increase public awareness of the foster care crisis and expand our capacity of adoptive and foster homes for children.”
Committed to reversing these negative trends, the leadership and board of Children’s Home Society – North Carolina’s largest provider of foster care and adoption services – launched the Promise of Family campaign, teaming resources from foundations, companies, organizations, families and individuals to expand and accelerate proven programs for vulnerable children.
“A child without a family is unacceptable,” said Maness. “Every child deserves a loving, safe, and permanent home.”
According to Maness, the relationship between the Duke family and Children’s Home Society of North Carolina goes back to 1902, when Benjamin Duke, the brother of James Buchanan Duke, founder of The Duke Endowment, was on the founding CHS board.
“One hundred fifteen years later,” said Maness, “Children’s Home Society’s core mission of promoting a loving, safe, and permanent family for every child has not changed.
The Duke Endowment, based in Charlotte, has distributed more than $3.3 billion in grants since its inception in 1924. The endowment’s work in North Carolina and South Carolina focuses on child care, health care, higher education, and rural United Methodist churches.
Founded in 1902, Children’s Home Society serves over 20,000 children and families in all 100 counties in North Carolina with adoption, foster care, parenting education, family preservation, and teen pregnancy prevention services. More than 15,000 children have been adopted through Children’s Home Society North Carolina.
Contact:
Dillard Spring
Director of Marketing
DSpring@CHSNC.org
800-632-1400 ext. 550
Robert B Butler
Communications | Public Relations
Permission granted for reprint and redistribution
Keywords:
#FosterCare #Adoption #TheDukeEndowment #ChildrensHomeSocietyNC #CHSNC #JordanInstitute #UNCCH #NorthCarolina #PromiseOfFamily #BrianManess #PhilRedmondJr
North Carolina Foster Care and Adoption In “Crisis”
Mae, courtesy of Children's Home Society of North Carolina
GREENSBORO, NC – “Foster care and adoption are in a state of crisis,” said Brian Maness, President and CEO of Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, the state’s largest private provider of foster care and adoption services. “Foster care has been growing at an alarming rate with a shortage of permanent, safe, and loving homes for adoptable children.”
In North Carolina, the number of children in foster care increased every month in 2016 compared to the corresponding month in 2015, with over 2,400 children eligible for adoption.
“About five years ago, we had just over 8,000 children in foster care in our state,” said Maness. “Today, there are about 10,500 children in foster care, an increase of more than 25% in the last five years. That is a trend we would very much like to reverse.
“For a child in foster care, it's a state of limbo, where they don't know what their future holds. They don't know whether they're going to remain with that foster family, move to another foster home, return to their biological family or whatever situation they came from, or whether they are going to find an adoptive family.
“The biggest challenges we have with adoption are public awareness and increased resources to find the right family for the child. Every child that we place for adoption has a set of unique needs.”
Living in foster care for more than ten years, 16-year-old Mae and her 17-year-old sister Ann are examples of some of the obstacles facing adoptive children. Many are 6 to 18 years of age with siblings who frequently want and need to be together in a single adoptive home.
“If you ever decide to adopt me … my sister is really important to me,” said Mae, in a video for prospective adoptive parents. “When things get tough for you, you’ve got to be strong and hold on tight to your dreams and never let go.”
Ann, courtesy of Children's Home Society of North Carolina
“I’d also like for my sister to be with me,” said Ann. “My favorite song is Climb, by Miley Cyrus. It tells you to keep on going, to keep on climbing, to keep faith in yourself, to keep your spirit, and don’t ever give up.”
“Time is an eternity to a child. We don’t want any child to spend one day longer than they absolutely need to in foster care,” said Maness. “Our goal is to help each child achieve permanency with a safe and loving family that will be theirs forever. We want to shorten that period of time as much as possible.
“It's important to prioritize the long-term implications of a child not knowing who their family is going to be. It impacts how they see the world and how they see themselves. It impacts their sense of identity and belonging in ways that have profound implications long-term for them.”
In October of 2014, Children’s Home Society of North Carolina adopted the Promise of Family campaign to help address growing foster care and adoption needs in the state. In May of 2016, with added research and continuation of adverse trends, CHSNC’s board of directors approved a five-year strategic plan and campaign to boost the number of completed adoptions and increase the size of its enhanced foster care to permanency program.
According to Maness, the CHSNC board will meet and review the plan and funding in late-January.
Brian Maness, President and CEO, Children's Home Society of North Carolina
Founded in 1902, Children’s Home Society serves over 20,000 children and families in all 100 counties in North Carolina with adoption, foster care, family preservation, and teen pregnancy prevention services. More than 15,000 children have been adopted through Children’s Home Society North Carolina.
Dillard Spring
Director of Marketing
DSpring@CHSNC.org
800-632-1400 ext. 550
Robert B Butler
Communications | Public Relations
Permission granted for reprint and redistribution
Keywords:
#FosterCare #Adoption #ChildrensHomeSocietyNC #CHSNC #JordanInstitute #UNCChapelHill #NorthCarolina #MileyCyrus #PromiseOfFamily #BrianManess
Adoption Month Brings High Hopes to North Carolina Children
Makayla – Courtesy of Children's Home Society of North Carolina
GREENSBORO, NC – “I’ve been dreaming for a family almost ever since I came to foster care and knew that I could be adopted,” said 12-year old Makayla. “I’ve been dreaming about this, and it’s so important to me.” Makayla has been in foster care for more than five years.
November is National Adoption Month and Children’s Home Society of North Carolina (CHSNC) is helping to raise awareness about the need for adoptive families for older youth in foster care. Every year more than 100,000 children in the United States, including over 2,400 in North Carolina, are eligible for adoption according to CHSNC. Most adoptive children are 7 to 17 years of age.
Makayla plans to become a chemist helping people with cancer. “My aunt had cancer and died from it, and I don’t want anyone else to suffer like that,” Makayla added.
Montavious – Courtesy of Children's Home Society of North Carolina
“If I could have one wish, it would be a place to call home … and everyone having a place they can call home,” said 17-year old Montavious. “A foster home is a temporary place … it’s not permanent.”
Seeking a permanent family and adoption, Montavious plans a career in biology or computer programming. “My experiences make me who I am, but they do not control who I will become,” he added.
Tucker – Courtesy of Children's Home Society of North Carolina
“Without family, you are stuck in life,” said 14-year-old Tucker. “When I was little, I lost my mom, and there’s nothing I can do about it but to move on with life and make better choices.”
Tucker’s favorite subjects are history and archeology, but one day he hopes to be a professional basketball player and “have a mansion.”
Heather – Courtesy of Children's Home Society of North Carolina
“I like to write. I want to find a home, so I wrote a story about a dog trying to find a home,” said 9-year old Heather, a budding third-grade writer and artist. “The dog was trying to find a family and found a home on Christmas.”
These and dozens of hard-life stories told by adoptable children brimming with hope and ambition can be seen and heard on the Children’s Home Society of North Carolina website.
Wingate encourages families, couples, and singles interested in learning more about adoption to attend a two-hour informational meeting. The meetings are free, scheduled across the state every month, and with no obligation.
“When a child is adopted, the trajectory changes for the child and future generations,” said Wingate. “Families make such a positive difference in the life of a child and the health of a community.”
“One of the biggest challenges is having enough staff,” said Wingate. “Ultimately, it boils down to financial resources to have more social workers doing the important field work, and carefully selecting and matching the right foster care and adoptive families to work with these wonderful children.”
To meet the financial challenge, Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, the largest private adoption agency in the state, launched The Promise of Family campaign, a five-year fundraiser and plan to dramatically boost the number of completed adoptions and increase the size of its enhanced foster care to permanency program.
“A child without a family is unacceptable,” said Wingate. “With a permanent, safe, and loving family we believe the potential of every child is unlimited.”
Contact:
Dillard Spring
Director of Marketing
DSpring@CHSNC.org
800-632-1400 ext. 550
Robert B Butler
Communications | Public Relations
Permission granted for redistribution
#FosterCare #Adoption #ChildrensHomeSocietyNC #CHSNC #JordanInstitute #UNCCH #NorthCarolina #NCDSS #NationalAdoptionMonth #AdoptionAwareness
Adoptive Homes Sought as Foster Care Surges
Susan McDonald (Board Chair of Children's Home Society of North Carolina) with husband Mackey McDonald
GREENSBORO, NC – As of July 31, 2016, more than 10,400 children are in foster care in North Carolina – almost a 25-percent increase over a five-year low recorded in 2011 according to data collected and maintained by the Jordan Institute for Families at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
“Ten-thousand children who do not have a permanent family is not acceptable,” said Susan McDonald, Board Chair of Children’s Home Society North Carolina (CHS). “One child without a permanent family is just not acceptable.”
Jordan Institute and UNC-CH data also reveal over 500 foster children aging out and facing adulthood without finding permanent homes, and about 130,000 children with investigated reports of abuse and neglect in North Carolina each year during the past five years.
“When children are forced to deal with the basic needs of having safety, a permanent home and a loving family, how can they possibly reach their potential?” asked Brian Maness, President and CEO of Children’s Home Society (CHS). “We can do better and change these statistics here in North Carolina.”
Brian Maness, President and CEO, Children's Home Society of North Carolina
“Last year alone 2,500 children were referred to CHS because they needed a family,” said Maness. “Because of financial constraints, we were only able to serve 694 of them. Every year, more and more young people enter the system, and we are not able to help them.”
“There are no unwanted children, just unfound families,” said Maness, quoting the National Center for Adoption. “What will we do together for these children?”
To meet Maness’ challenge, the leadership team and Board of Trustees of Children’s Home Society forged and approved a five-year, $25-million campaign to expand capacity and services for families and children in North Carolina.
According to Maness, expanded capacity will enable CHS, the largest private adoption agency in the state, to dramatically boost the number of completed adoptions and increase the size of its enhanced foster care to permanency program.
“The Promise of Family campaign will raise funding to bolster the right of every child to a permanent, safe, and loving family, and sustain the important work of Children’s Home Society throughout North Carolina,” said Susan McDonald.
McDonald, campaign co-chair with husband Mackey McDonald of Greensboro, launched the drive with a $2-million contribution.
Founded in 1902 to rescue homeless children from the streets of Greensboro, Children’s Home Society now serves over 20,000 children and families in all 100 counties in North Carolina with adoption, foster care, family preservation, and teen pregnancy prevention services. More than 15,000 children have been adopted through Children’s Home Society North Carolina.
“We believe in the importance of family, not only in the life of a child but also in the foundation of a community,” said Maness.
Contact:
Dillard Spring
Director of Marketing
Children's Home Society of North Carolina
DSpring@CHSNC.org
800-632-1400 ext. 550
Children's Home Society launched the five-year $25-million Promise of Family campaign at three supporter-meetings in North Carolina, Greensboro's Koury Convention Center, North Ridge Country Club in Raleigh, and the Westin Charlotte.
#FosterCare #Adoption #ChildrensHomeSocietyNC #CHSNC #JordanInstitute #UNCCH #NorthCarolina #NCDSS #KouryCoventionCenter #NorthRidgeCountryClub #WestinCharlotte
High Point Attracts Top Entertainers to Benefit NC Children
Jim Quick and Coastline, 14-time winners of the CAMMY Entertainer of the Year Award
HIGH POINT, NC – Two of the top Mid-Atlantic bands will entertain in High Point on Friday, Sept. 9 to benefit children in need of adoption and foster care services.
Jim Quick and Coastline, 14-time recipients of the coveted CAMMY Entertainer of the Year Award, and Sleeping Booty, a favored funk, rock, R&B, and hip-hop dance band, will headline the 8th annual Ilderton’s High Point Beach Music Blast.
Proceeds from the Beach Music Blast go to Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, founded in 1902 with the mission to promote the right of every child to a permanent, safe, and loving family. Last year CHS served more than 20,000 children and families who needed assistance in North Carolina.
“I was adopted myself, so this event holds a special place in my heart,“ said Dana Bett, lead singer of Sleeping Booty. “We love playing for this great cause and raising awareness of Children’s Home Society North Carolina. It will be a blast!”
Gates open Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Mendenhall Transportation Terminal in downtown High Point. Stage activities begin at 6 PM and continue until 11 PM.
Free parking is available with food trucks providing convenient menu options for the entire family. Bring lawn chairs and blankets – but leave the coolers and pets at home.
Advance tickets are available online through Sept 8th at $15 each and tickets at the gate will be $20. There is no admission charge for children under 12. Purchase Tickets Online Here
“Every dollar we receive supports adoption, foster care, family education, family preservation, family finding, and teen pregnancy prevention programs,” said Brian Maness, President and CEO of Children’s Home Society NC.
The High Point Beach Music Blast also celebrates the 90th (yes, ninetieth) anniversary of presenting sponsor Ilderton Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Ram.
“We thank the community and many sponsors for making a difference,” said Maness.
8th Annual Ilderton's High Point Beach Music Blast
Friday, September 9
6:00 – 11:00 p.m.
6:00 – 11:00 p.m.
Gates Open at 5:30
Mendenhall Transportation Terminal
220 East Commerce - High Point
220 East Commerce - High Point
Dana Bett, lead singer for Sleeping Booty
Sponsors include Ilderton Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Ram, Piedmont Natural Gas,
City of High Point, Matthews Mobile Media, RH Barringer, Rock 92/107.5 KZL, Simon
Jewelers, JH Adams Inn, GMA, High Point Bank, High Point Convention and Visitors Bureau,
RagApple Winery.
For more information, please call 1.800.632.1400 or visit www.chnc.org.
Dana Bett, lead singer for Sleeping Booty
Attendees can purchase raffles tickets to win a LeVian chocolate and vanilla diamond necklace in 14 karat honey gold provided by Simon Jewelers. Raffle tickets are only $10 with discounts for purchasing multiple tickets – six for $50 and 13 for $100.
Contact:
Dillard Spring
Director of Marketing
DSpring@CHSNC.org
800-632-1400 ext. 550
Robert B Butler
Communications | Public Relations
Permission granted for redistribution
Keywords:
#FosterCare #Adoption #ChildrensHomeSocietyNC #CHSNC #NorthCarolina #HighPoint #BeachMusicBlast #JimQuick #Coastline #SleepingBooty #IldertonDodge #BrianManess #Dana Bett
Interview: Brook Wingate, VP Philanthropy
Children's Home Society of NC
by Charley McCain, 98.7 Simon, Greensboro
Brook Wingate, Vice President Philanthropy, Children's Home Society of North Carolina
Interview Part One
Part One - Interview with Brook Wingate, Vice President Philanthropy of Children's Home Society of North Carolina, by Community Affairs Manager Charley McCain of 98.7 FM Simon in Greensboro, NC.
Charley McCain, WSMW FM 98.7 Simon, Greensboro, NC
Interview Part Two
Part Two - Interview with Brook Wingate, Vice President Philanthropy of Children's Home Society of North Carolina, by Community Affairs Manager Charley McCain of 98.7 FM Simon in Greensboro, NC.
Permission granted for republishing and redistribution
