Welcome to the 2025 August issue of Foster Family News, a monthly newsletter for current and potential Fairfax County foster parents. Our monthly newsletter shares resources, news, tips, events, and trainings relevant to foster and adoptive parents, children in care, and the resource workers who support them.
| Table of Contents |
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| Feature Articles |
| Events Central |
| Support Groups |
| FAQs, Story in Stats & Foster Care Facts |
| Trainings and Conferences |
When children are placed in foster care, the primary goal is to reunify them with their birth families as soon as it is safe to do so. Learn about the Fourth Annual Reunification Celebration hosted by the Fairfax County Department of Family Services and Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court during National Family Unification Month in June. Hear from a youth with lived experience in foster care about the significance of reunification efforts for her family. Read more.
Julie Cedarbaum, Associate Professor of Social Work at the university of Southern California has been following the progress of a small group of young adults now in their late 20s, who had aged out of foster care at 18 years old. This group, composed of individuals from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds were notable in that they were doing relatively well in life at age 18, and that has continued as they have aged. The research team attributed their success to the consistent support of adults who care about these young people. Read more.
Fairfax County Government is known for being innovative. Recently, the Fairfax County Department of Family Services has gained recognition for being the only jurisdiction in the state of Virginia to have two dedicated full-time court liaison positions. Their work, which is focused on preventing unnecessary transfers of troubled youth into foster care is being praised as a model for the whole state! Learn more.
One of the important steps in becoming a foster parent is the Mutual Family Assessment, sometimes referred to as a “home study,” in which the Department of Family Services gets to know potential foster parents, provides training to prepare them for the role of foster parenting, and evaluates the safety of their home environment. Learn more about this process from our new video featuring Fairfax County resource parent Darlene Alvarez! Thank you to Darlene for your support!
Summer Family Picnic hosted by Formed Families Forward
Friday, Aug. 1
5-7 p.m.
1315 Ross Dr. SW
Vienna, VA, 22180
Families are invited to participate in a community service project followed by a BBQ dinner. Southside Park features a playground and nature trails. After dinner, kids will enjoy some fun entertainment surprises! **New this year** teens will participate in a special activity: “Thinking Outside of the Box & Into the Future.” Participating teens (13 and older) will receive an Amazon gift card! Learn more.
Monthly Foster Care Information Meeting
Tuesday, August 8, 2025
6:45-8:30 p.m.
Are you curious about becoming a foster parent? Are you or someone close to you ready for the next step to help children that need a temporary home? We need more foster parents, and information meetings are one of the ways we get to know prospective parents. Information meetings for prospective parents are by invitation only. To attend the meeting first complete a short interest form to help us get to know you better, and you will be contacted promptly by one of our specialists. The full 2025 meeting schedule and additional information are available online. Check it out and share it with others who might be interested.
Kids Day Out (Previously known as Respite Nights) hosted by Foster the Family D.C.
Occasional Kids Day Out events offered on Saturday evenings in three counties in the DMV area. During a Kids Day Out, we provide 3 hours of free child care in a safe, fun, trauma informed space. These events are for any children, ages up to 12 years old in the home of local foster, adoptive, and kinship families. Spots are limited and first come, first serve. Registration will close the Monday before the Kids Day Out.
- Saturday, August 9 in Washington DC from 4 – 1 p.m.: Register Here
The Department of Family Services supports families and county residents of all ages and stages of life – and that definitely includes foster parents and families! Like and Follow @FairfaxCountyFamilyServices for news, events, tips, stories, training opportunities and more.
A variety of organizations offer support to adoptive, foster, and kinship care families in our region. Register online for a preferred support group.
Sunday, August 3, 7:30-9 p.m. – Formed Families Forward Virtual Peer Support Groups for foster, adoptive, and kinship families.
Wednesday, August 20, 7-8:30 p.m. – Formed Families Forward in-Person Peer Support Groups for foster, adoptive, and kinship families.
Tuesday, September 23, 6-7:30 p.m. – Stronger Together Youth and Young Adult Peer Support Groups (in-person) for teens and young adults age 14-22 who have lived experience. Group meetings are facilitated by a mental health professional and a young adult peer co-facilitator. A light dinner is served.
Each newsletter will include this section to help answer questions, spotlight the people who support foster families, highlight the donors and sponsors who generously give to foster care programs and activities and friendly reminders for foster families to sign-up for trainings.
How do we register youth for free classes at rec centers?
Answer: The Fairfax County Park Authority offers a variety of activities, classes, programing, and recreation centers for county residents. Fairfax County youth in foster care often meet the criteria for scholarships or reduced fees for Park Authority classes. Find out more information about qualification criteria and steps to apply for fee waivers and scholarships.
In addition, Fairfax County Park Authority offers Rec-PAC Summer programs, and therapeutic recreational camp programs are available through Neighborhood Community Services.
Check out other frequently asked questions and answers from past issues.
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