IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO FIND
PARKWAY WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?
>> SOME OF THE NINE TESSLER
ROAD IN SALEM VIRGINIA.
>> FOR NOW WE WILL SEND THINGS
OVER TO NATALIE.
>>THERE ARE MORE THAN 5000
CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE ACROSS
VIRGINIA AND ALMOST 900 OF
THOSE CHILDREN ARE ABLE TO BE
ADOPTED.
NEXT MONTH 10NEWS IS KICKING
OFF A NEW EFFORT CALLED 30 DAYS
OF HOPE TO HIGHLIGHT A LOCAL
CHILD EVERY DAY TO RAISE
AWARENESS OF THOSE CHILDREN
LOOKING FOR A FAMILY TO CALL
THEIR OWN.
JOINING ME NOT TO TELL US MORE
IS JENNA ALONGSIDE BEN JONES
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL
SERVICES.
WELCOME.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW.
SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE 30 DAYS OF HOPE
CAMPAIGN.
WHERE DID YOU GUYS COME UP WITH
THIS IDEA?
>> THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
CONNECTING HEARTS, OR PARTNER
AGENCY, IS WORKING WITH US ON.
NOVEMBER IS NATIONAL ADOPTION
MONTH AND SO WE WANTED TO DO IT
IN NOVEMBER.
WE ACTUALLY LAUNCHED IT THIS
MORNING AND SO WE ARE FEATURING
ONE CHILD EVERY DAY THAT CAN BE
ADOPTED.
>> FOR VIEWERS WHAT CAN THEY
EXPECT TO SEE EACH DAY AS PART
OF THIS INITIATIVE?
BOOK WE WILL
HIGHLIGHT THESE
KIDS.
THEY ARE KIDS IN FOSTER CARE
DUE TO NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN.
THEY CAME FROM AWFUL SITUATION
SOME OF THEM .
THEY NEED A PERMANENT FAMILY.
LOOKING THROUGH THEIR BIO, THEY
LIKE HIKING, THEY LIKE PLAYING
VIDEO GAMES, THEY LIKE SHOPPING
WITH HER FRIENDS.
THEY ARE JUST LIKE THE KIDS IN
OUR LIVES.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT WHY WE HAVE
SO MANY KIDS IN THE SYSTEM.
HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?
WHY ARE WE SEEING OVER 5000
RIGHT NOW?
>> SURE.
WELL, IF A CHILD IS AT RISK OF
ABUSE OR NEGLECT WITH THEIR
CAREGIVER THEY MIGHT ENTER
FOSTER CARE.
ROANOKE COUNTY ALONE WE HAVE
90S IN FOSTER CARE AS OF THIS
MORNING.THEY NEEA SAFE
GIVER AND THEY ALL DESERVE TO
KNOW WHERE THEIR PERMANENT
FAMILY IS.
>> WHAT CAN WE DO AT HOME.
WE ARE SITTING HERE WATCHING
IT'S IN MY GOODNESS, THERE ARE
SO MANY KIDS IN NEED.
WHAT CAN WE DO
>> THERE ARE LOTS OF OPTIONS.
YOU CAN CALL YOUR LOCAL DSS AND
ASK HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED.
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS, WE NEED
MENTORS WE VERY MUCH NEED
FOSTER PARENTS.
>> IF I WANT TO BE A FOSTER
PARENTS, TALK ABOUT WHAT THE
PROCESS IS LIKE THAT.
>> THAT IS MY FAVORITE TOPIC.
TO BE A FOSTER PARENTS NEED TO
BE FLEXIBLE, YOU NEED TO BE
OPEN TO BEING A PART OF A
LARGER SYSTEM .
THE REST OF IT, WE OFFER A 30
HOUR COURSE CALLED PRIDE THAT
WE OFFER FOR FREE AT OUR LOCAL
DSS.
HAVE TO PASS A BACKGROUND
CHECK.
SPEEDING TICKETS AREN'T A
PROBLEM.
OTHERWISE IT IS A JOURNEY WE
TAKE TOGETHER.
THERE ARE SOME REALLY GREAT
FAMILIES THAT TURNED OUTAREN'T
A MATCH FOR US BECAUSE WHAT
THEIR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
ARE AND THERE ARE SOME FAMILIES
YOU THINK WOULD SUCCEED AND
HAVE EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED.
>> THE PROCESS IS REALLY EASY.
MY HUSBAND AND I JUST WEN
THROUGH IT IN THE SPRING WE ARE
APPROVED FOSTER PARENTS.
THERE ISSUCH A NEED IN OUR
LOCAL COMMUNITY.
IF THIS IS SOMETHING YOU ARE
REMOTELY INTERESTED IN.
LIKE MAYBE THIS MIGHT BE FOR
ME, THERE IS NO COMMITMENT.
GO TO AN ORIENTATION AT YOUR
LOCAL DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL
SERVICES OFFICE AND THEY WILL
TELL YOU MORE ABOUT IT AND YOU
CAN DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO TAKE
THE NEXT STEP.
>> CAN I REQUEST A CERTAIN
AGE ?
HE SAID BE FLEXIBLE SO YOU
KINDA WANT PEOPLE WHO WILL TAKE
ANY
AGE, RIGHT?
>> WHEN I SAY FLEXIBLE , BEING
A PARTNER IN A LARGER SYSTEM
REQUIRES YOU TO MAKE A LOT OF
DECISIONS.
IF YOU KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU
WANT YOUR HOUSE TO BE RUN AND
EXACTLY HOW YOU WANT TO PARENTS
SOMEONE YOU WILL STRUGGLE TO BE
PART OF THE LARGER SYSTEM WHERE
EACH TOWN HAS THEIR OWN
INDIVIDUAL STORY AND THEY MAY
NEED TO BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY
THAN YOU WOULD NATURALLY TREAT
YOUR BIOLOGICAL CHILDREN.
BUT THERE IS EVEN A SOONER
OPPORTUNITY.WE HAVE A
COMMUNITY CONVERSATION AT THE
LIBRARY ON NOVEMBER 7. SHOW UP,
ASK ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE
WILL
HAVE A LIVE SOCIAL WORKER AND
LIFE FOSTER PARENTS TO ANSWER
QUESTIONS.
>> SO I CAN PERSONALLY ASK YOU
THOSE QUESTIONS NOVEMBER 7 AT
THE LIBRARY.