(Posted 2025 October)
By Jennifer Jensen, Social Services Specialist III
The 10th Annual Kinship Symposium took place on Friday, September 26 in Crystal City. It can only be described as heartwarming and inspiring for everyone in attendance. Participants were captivated by the keynote Speaker Terry Harrak, who had the audience laughing and crying at the same time.
What is Kinship Care?
It’s when family members or close friends step in, either formally or informally, to raise a relative’s child when the parents are unable to care for them. This age-old practice is proven to be beneficial to maintaining a child’s sense of belonging and connection to their culture and traditions.
This regional symposium drew participants from all over Northern Virginia and Central Virginia including kinship families, child welfare practitioners, community partners, staff with the Virginia Department of Social Services, and anyone with an interest in learning more.
In addition to practical topics, such as the presentation by Jenny Pokempner from the Youth Law Counsel on incorporating new laws and initiatives into our practice, there were also personal testimonies and panel discussions.
Captivating Speakers
As a person with lived experience, Terry Harak brought a valuable perspective through her keynote. She spoke about coming into foster care at the age of 14, her failed kinship placement with her sister, losing all contact with her family members and experiencing homelessness the day she was discharged from foster care.
Terry then walked listeners through her journey of rekindling important family relationships as an adult, highlighting the importance of family relationships and connection and support even when kinship placement is not an option. She reminded listeners that when kinship placements are possible, practitioners must offer support to the kinship caregiver to make the placement stable and enduring.
These are all things we know as social workers but the way Terry put a story to the words was game changing for many. She challenged professionals to believe in the work and value the opinions of teens and young adults.
Youth Panel Provides Hope
Another highlight of the conference was the panel led by Chauncey Strong, a longtime advocate and champion for foster care youth. The panel consisted of teens and adult youth who had been in foster care at some point in their lives.
They described the blessing that came from kinship placements and ongoing family relationships. They were also honest about the struggles and system trauma they experienced while in care.
There was not a dry eye in the room when a teen sister became emotional talking about how her 21-year-old sibling, who was also in foster care’s Independent Living program, took her in and raised her, changing her life for the better.
It was a meaningful day filled with powerful stories, and it lived up to the conference theme of “Promoting kinship bonds for youth; foster care and beyond.”
This article posting is part of the Foster Family News monthly newsletter designed to keep foster parents informed about all the new and notable happenings in Fairfax County.
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