Robbi and Cliff Whittlesey with children who were in their care before reunification
Greensboro, NC, June 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Each June, during National Reunification Month, Children’s Home Society of NC (CHS) celebrates ongoing efforts around the country to help families be reunited whenever safely possible after children have entered foster care.
“We see the positive impact of reunification on the lives of children in the foster care system and their parents, and reuniting families remains our primary goal,” said Shannon Enoch, CHS Executive Director of Programs. “Research shows that children who live in their family communities have better and more successful outcomes than those who are placed outside of those communities. About half of the youth who come into our care are reunited with their families of origin.”
Youth who have been removed from their homes and placed in foster care need positive relationships and connections with their parents and other family members to maintain the integrity of these relationships – in hopes that they will be able to return home. Foster parents in particular play a critical role in cultivating relationships with birth parents by supporting child and parent contact and visitation to increase the likelihood of successful reunification.
CHS especially celebrates its more than 500 CHS foster parents who are enabling reunification, like Robbi and Cliff Whittlesey who fostered a brother and sister who were ultimately reunited with their birth parents thanks to shared parenting. Through shared parenting, foster parents cultivate positive, supportive relationships with birth parents, which ultimately benefits the children.
“We saw how involved their parents wanted to be with their children,” Robbi said. “We all make mistakes and go through different journeys in our lives. We saw the love for their children come though. We have been so blessed for these kids to call us their foster parents. They are part of our family now, as well as their parents, and we look forward to seeing them grow up and sharing in their successes along the way.”
With nearly 11,000 children in care in North Carolina and only 5,400 foster homes, there is a critical shortage of foster parents. The need is great for foster families to support these children during the transition while they await reunification with their family of origin, guardianship with relatives, or adoption.
For more information on Children’s Home Society, becoming a foster or adoptive parent, volunteering, or providing financial support, please call 800-632-1400 or visit www.chsnc.org.
Children’s Home Society is dedicated to providing top-quality, evidence-based programs and services to children and families throughout North Carolina. Our education and child welfare staff provided services to more than 22,000 individuals last year, educating and preserving families, supporting children and families through transitions, and creating new families.
Robbi and Cliff Whittlesey are available for interviews.
Please contact Dillard Spring to schedule: 800-632-1400 dspring@chsnc.org
About Children’s Home Society of North Carolina
Children’s Home Society offers a network of services and support throughout North Carolina to help establish and sustain healthy, loving relationships in every family. For 120 years, Children’s Home Society has provided a broad spectrum of programs and services including adoption, foster care, parenting education, family preservation, and teen responsibility. Children’s Home Society believes in the importance of family, not only in the life of a child but also in the foundation of a community. For more information, visit www.chsnc.org.
Attachment
- Robbi and Cliff Whittlesey with children who were in their care before reunification
CONTACT: Dillard Spring Children's Home Society of North Carolina 8006321400 dspring@chsnc.org
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