(Posted 2025 October)
Kinship caregivers are everyday heroes. They step up when family is needed most, ensuring that children stay connected to their roots and loved ones. Often, it’s the aunt, the sibling, the grandparent who becomes the backbone of a child’s world when a parent can’t be there. They wrap love, comfort and stability around a child when they need it most.
During Kinship Care Awareness Month in September, Department of Family Services Foster Care and Adoption honored these incredible families who have opened their hearts and homes to the children of relatives.
In addition to social media posts celebrating some Fairfax County kinship foster care parents, FCA also partnered with Project Belong to show our gratitude for the 37 kinship foster care parents we work with. The families were honored to receive an outpouring of generosity from Citylight Church and Boost Others.
On Friday, Sept. 29 FCA staff met with Pastor Dale Sutherland of Citylight Church to coordinate the delivery of donated gifts totaling $7,400 to support our kinship foster care families according to their needs. Our foster care practitioners had talked with the families over the summer to determine gifts that would be helpful and Pastor Dale and his congregation delivered!
"Kinship families carry unique burdens and blessings that are often unseen and unsupported in the ways they need and deserve. There is an emotional weight, a significant financial impact, and a sacrificial love beyond measure that comes with this special role…We pray every family feels encouraged, cared for, united, and smiles a little brighter through this gift,” explained Pastor Dale.
These local families were thrilled to receive gifts ranging from TVs to air fryers, and we can’t say enough about the joy we experienced by being able to facilitate this.
Maggie Moreland, Kinship Unit supervisor said, “Foster care isn’t just for strangers. It’s for family, too, and we are thankful for this opportunity to show how much we appreciate the family members who have answered the call.”