Virginia Governor Ralph S. Northam

WHEREAS, for more than 100 years, the Children’s Bureau has worked to assist children and youth in foster care; and

WHEREAS, in 2016, Virginia extended foster care services to age 21 through the Fostering Futures program; and

WHEREAS, there are more than 5,400 children from Virginia in foster care; and

WHEREAS, every child in foster care deserves the security and opportunity for growth that a family can provide; and

WHEREAS, a child’s success is best supported in a system that is family-focused, child-centered, and community-based; and

WHEREAS, foster, adoptive, and kinship parents provide Virginia’s children with opportunities to be part of caring families and help them connect to permanent homes through reunification, permanent placement with relatives, or preparation for adoption; and

WHEREAS, dedicated foster families frequently adopt foster children, resulting in a greater need for more foster-to-adopt families; and

WHEREAS, through the partnerships among foster, adoptive, and kinship parents, child welfare staff, and public and private child-serving organizations, efforts are made to ensure that children are safe and their voices are heard as we work for the success of every child;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Ralph S. Northam, do hereby recognize May 2019 as FOSTER CARE MONTH in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.