(Posted 2026 October)
By Penny Talley, Annandale Foster Care Unit Supervisor
In spring 2024, a precocious three year old named Lucia* came to attention of the Department of Family Services after her mother, Juanita, arrived at a local hospital in serious mental distress. It quickly became clear that Juanita was in no condition to care for her daughter safely, so Lucia was placed in foster care.
Searching for Family
DFS tried to find relatives who could help, but the information Juanita gave was often confusing or incorrect. She named people who turned out not to be related and who didn’t even know her. Because of this, Lucia had no contact with family for several months. Eventually, Juanita began taking her medication regularly and meeting with her treatment team. With more stability, she finally provided contact information for Lucia’s father, Tomas, who lived in another country.
Unfortunately, when the DFS practitioner tried calling the number, it wasn’t working. Miraculously, a few weeks later, Tomas managed to call the practitioner himself. He explained that he lived in Guatemala and had been searching for Juanita and Lucia for a long time. He didn’t know that his daughter was in foster care. He shared that Juanita had left Guatemala with Lucia without telling him, and he had been calling her family often to see if they knew where she had gone. But Juanita rarely spoke to her family.
He desperately wanted Lucia to come home to him, but an international home study was required and it would take some time. Tomas was disappointed that he could not take her home right away, but he understood.
Building a Connection
The practitioner sent Tomas photos and stories about Lucia and set up video calls. At first, Lucia was shy. She had not seen her father in more than a year. But soon she was happily telling him about her day, her “school,” and her favorite toys. Tomas was patient and creative, always finding games to play with her during their calls. Even though young children often lose interest quickly, many of their virtual visits lasted an hour.
DFS asked for the international home study to be completed. This meant background checks, home visits, and interviews with everyone living in Tomas’s household. It was a long and detailed process, but Tomas stayed in close contact and asked thoughtful questions. He worried about how Lucia would adjust to a new home and wanted her to feel comfortable. He worked hard to make her bedroom bright and welcoming, sending pictures to show what he was preparing for her.
A Joyful Homecoming
The home study was approved in June 2025, but DFS could not move forward until Lucia’s immigration paperwork was settled. In October 2025, approval finally came. When Tomas learned flights were booked, he broke down crying. He had feared that people would assume a child should stay with her mother and that he might lose the chance to raise Lucia.
On Halloween 2025, Lucia saw her father at the airport along with fifteen family members who had come to welcome her home. Her bright smile spread to everyone around her. Amidst tears and laughter, Tomas asked the home study worker to take the family’s first picture together so he could send it in gratitude to the practitioner who helped reunite them.
*Names changed to protect confidentiality.
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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