Children affected by the opioid crisis have a better chance at living with trusted kinship caregivers thanks to a $1 million grant awarded to Cleveland’s Waiting Child Fund. “This is a tragedy and certainly is an emergency,” said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine of the state’s need for foster care …

Families, children and child protection staff in eight Ohio counties can look forward to additional support and resources in 2018 thanks to the innovative 30 Days to Family ® Ohio program, expected to launch early next year. In August, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced $1 million in funding for …

Ten-year-old Samantha came to live with her dad in Ohio five years ago, after being removed from her mother’s care by a children services agency in her home state of Maine. With a complicated history of sexual abuse and the painful experience of being separated from her mom, it was important and necessary that Samantha receive trauma-informed counseling and ongoing support. Without this, her problems and pain would only continue to multiply.

Charlotte was born on a snowy morning in January of 2018. Unfortunately, Charlotte is one of a growing number of babies born with drugs in her system. Because of a number of social issues, the hospital knew Charlotte would not be able to go home safely. Charlotte is not the first or the second, but actually the third daughter born to her mother and neither of her siblings are currently in their mother’s custody. One child is in the custody of their maternal aunt and in the custody of a cousin. Though the households are separate, the family is close and the sisters spend time together often. Kinship care has worked for this family in the past and Charlotte’s 30 Days to Family ® Specialist, Jamie, was determined to make it work again.

The following Year in Review is designed to provide a summary of programmatic, organizational, and fundraising milestones achieved by Waiting Child Fund in 2017.  Founded in 2005, the mission of Waiting Child Fund is to develop partnerships that transform beliefs, values, and actions to achieve permanency for all children in …

Authors | Lauren Frey, Darla Henry, Mary LeBeau, Nicole McLaughlin, Lori Ryan, and Gail Johnson Vaughan

Approved by Family Builders Network on October 13, 2017

Authors | Michelle Chalmers, Mike Kenney and Kim Stevens

Approved by Family Builders Network in October 2017

 

“My mother’s rights were terminated.  Not mine.” Foster youth quote

In order to love all parts, we must know all parts.  Even in the most complex life situations, we must honor that truth.