Department of Family Services – Children, Youth and Families

CONTACT INFORMATION: Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
703-324-7500 TTY 711
12011 Government Center Parkway, Pennino Building
Fairfax, VA 22035
Oriane Eriksen
Director

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Foster Care Success Stories

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These are the true stories of Fairfax County Foster Care and Adoption. They are stories of hope, endurance, acceptance, sacrifice, belonging, and most of all love. These success stories reveal how lives have been improved and families formed, reunited, and strengthened through the support of professionals working in foster care and adoption. 

Foster Care Unit Success Story: Maintaining Family Connections through Adoption (2024 December)

Adoption Foster Care Unit Specialists Foster care is full of ups and downs. For foster parents, supporting the primary goal of reunification with the biological family requires a lot of patience and flexibility. In this family’s case, it led to a strong bond between the foster parents and the biological relatives of the child that continues to this day. Learn about their story and how foster care workers supported them in growing that lasting relationship.


 


 


Foster Care Unit Success Story: A Mother and Child Reunion (2024 October) 

Annandale Foster Care Unit In this moving case, a teen who was struggling to make it on her own and thought she had no one to turn to was given a second chance to reconnect with her mother and siblings. Check out this moving story about a mother who was willing to go the distance to get her daughter back.


 


 


Foster Care Unit Success Story: A Story of Resilience and Reunification (2024 September) 

South County Foster Care Unit staff Check out this example of how a foster parent, a home-based worker, and a child’s extended biological family can form a community of support that enables a parent to be reunified with their child. This story also illustrates the power of resilience and the importance of a parent’s unwavering determination.

 


 


Foster Care Unit Success Story: A Second Chance at a New Beginning (2024 July) 

Resource and Support Unit Staff Most foster parents would say that it is a journey filled with many ups and downs, and no one can predict the length of the journey or the ways it will change you. For one couple, opening their hearts and home to a child through foster care has led to a lifetime commitment and expanded their family in ways they never imagined. Read more.


 

 


Foster Care Unit Success Story: Family Commitment Leads to Success, Independence, and Belonging (2024 April) 

Adoption and Kinship Assistance Unit specialists A child who entered foster care due to repeated neglect demonstrated significant behavioral challenges, but he had relatives who believed in him. They sought custody of him to give him an opportunity to be successful. Through the support of Fairfax County foster care specialists, this family had the opportunity to try to make a difference for their young relative. Learn more.
 


Foster Parents Are Often the Unsung Heroes (2024 March) 

Reston Foster Care Unit specialists Our foster parents play such a pivotal role in bridging the gap between children and their biological families. Their diligent efforts can ultimately support the journey toward family reunification. Learn how one family made such a difference and helped establish lasting family connections. Read more.

 


An Unfortunate Circumstance Yields a Positive Outcome (2024 February) 

South County Foster Care UnitLearn about the way a community of support formed around a brother and sister who were separated from their parents due to domestic violence and substance use. Foster Care and Adoption staff worked diligently to place them in a home where they could experience a deep well of love to sustain them through tough times. This heartwarming success story is a testament to the caring and selfless support of all those involved. Read more

 

(go to Foster Family News current issue or archive)

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