Welcome to the 2020 January issue of Foster Family News, a monthly newsletter for current and potential Fairfax County foster parents.

Table of Contents
Foster Family in Focus: Carissa and Rouse Barker Tax Deductions for Foster and Adoptive Parents Spotlight on the Permanency and Life Skills Unit Children Awaiting Adoption - Meet Elyas	Annual Holiday Party Frequently Asked Questions: What is the difference between Foster Care and Adoption? Story in Statistics: Siblings Donors and Sponsors Highlights: Santa’s Workshop Upcoming Trainings and Conferences

 

Carissa’s journey to becoming an adoptive parent of a teenager began ten years ago through volunteering with and mentoring teens as part of the county program Fairfax Families4Kids. She said it was instrumental in helping her to realize that she was up to the task of caring for a child through the teen years. Check out the conversation we had to learn about Carissa's wisdom and experiences that have shaped her family along the way.

 

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Did you know that adoptive parents and foster parents may be eligible for some tax credits for the children in their homes? The Department of Family Services offers some general tax information for your awareness. We hope that you find it helpful, but since we do not employ tax experts, this information should not be solely relied upon for income tax preparation decisions.          

 

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The work of the Permanency and Life Skills Unit in Foster Care and Adoption is all about helping youth in care to find permanent families or establish lifelong connections, and to prepare our older youth to transition to adulthood. We interviewed supervisor Maggie Moreland and share her answers to few questions about the unit.

 

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Meet Elyas. He is 15 years old, with wisdom beyond his years of age. Some of Elyas' favorite activities are eating any kind of food, listening to music and anything outdoors involving nature. He enjoys playing basketball and football and wearing all the right shoes for each of his activities. For relaxation, Elyas likes fishing and going for long bicycle rides. He has a heart to serve and has ideas for how to do that at home and in the community. A great family for Elyas would be loving and respectful. The family would be highly structured and patient with his mistakes as he learns to grow from them.

Meet more children awaiting adoption.

Foster Care and Adoption hosted a holiday party for foster, kinship and adoptive families. It included light refreshments, children’s crafts, face painting, pictures with Santa, and a chance for children to shop for FREE gifts for family members at Santa’s workshop.