There are almost 700 children in Central Virginia’s foster care system through no fault of their own. When 140 of the children currently in foster care were taken from their families, there was not a foster care family available for them, so they were placed in a group home or residential foster care facility. Today, 84 of them continue to live there.
Over half of all kids in foster care are teenagers – the most difficult children to find homes for. 250 of them are between 16 and 21 years old and at risk of “aging out” of foster care without a safety net. About 20% of children who age out become homeless; half develop a substance dependence; only 3% ever earn a college degree.
The future is bleak for children in foster care who never find a family of their own.
But, there is still hope! Just one positive relationship with a loving, supportive adult can change a child’s life forever. JFS Connecting Hearts’ mission is to find foster, adoptive, and kinship parents who can give these kids the love and support they need for a brighter future.
Every November during Adoption Awareness Month, we partner with WTVR CBS 6 to present “A Hand to Hold,” a multimedia campaign spotlighting children in Central Virginia’s foster care system waiting for loving families of their own.
Every day in November, CBS 6 airs a child’s unique story, giving thousands of potential parents an opportunity to connect with a child they might never have gotten the chance to meet.
We also hope to inspire individuals, couples, and families to get involved, whether as foster parents, respite families, or mentors.
If you’d like to learn more about children in foster care or how you can get involved, please reach out to the Connecting Hearts Program Manager, Denise Wise-David, at dwise-david@jfsrichmond.org or (804) 349-0786.
