For Children’s Sake is incredibly proud to announce that our foster care program, as well as our outpatient behavioral health program, received a three-year CARF Accreditation.
What Does This Mean?
CARF International is an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services providers in the areas of Aging Services, Behavioral Health, Child and Youth Services, Durable Medical Equipment, Employment and Community Services, Medical Rehabilitation, Opioid Treatment Programs, and Vision Rehabilitation Services.
Our accreditation is a public commitment that we strive to:

• Involve persons served and their families in their service planning.
• Respect individual cultural preferences.
• Be accountable to our funding sources, referral agencies, and the community at large.
• Address health and safety concerns, such as building safety and emergency preparedness.
• Maintain management practices that are efficient, cost-effective, and based on outcomes and consumer satisfaction.

Receiving a CARF accreditation demonstrates For Children’s Sake’s quality, accountability, and commitment to the satisfaction of the persons served.
To receive this is a huge honor, and we’re so proud of our whole team for the work they did, and do every day, to receive this accreditation. We wouldn’t receive this without the hard work that our staff and all of our supporters do every day.
For more information about CARF International, the standards, or the survey process, visit www.carf.org.

Donate to Our Kiddos This School Year!
For Children’s Sake is working towards a tough goal this year; to provide school supplies to all of our kids in care! Our foster parents are absolute super heros, getting all of the children in their home set up for success in this crazy COVID world. As some of the children in our care head back to school to support their Individualized Education Plans, and others stay at home, there are a lot of supplies our families need, and we’re hoping the community can support us during this time!
When visiting our Amazon Wishlist, make sure to check out using smile.amazon.com and chose For Children’s Sake as your charity of choice to have a portion of your total donated back to For Children’s Sake as well!

Racism is in direct opposition to the mission of For Children’s Sake.  We believe in a nurturing home environment for every child that includes relationships that last a lifetime.  As we strive to meet our mission goal, we recognize that institutional racism and the rate of black children being placed in foster care are linked.  Children of color are far more likely to enter the foster care system than white children. The resources for families of color are not readily accessible due to waiting lists, cost, insurance refusal, transportation issues, and many other factors.
We know that Black Lives Matter, and we are all devastated by the death of George Floyd and far too many other people of color. We firmly stand against racism, violence, and hate.  Our foster children teach us how devastating racism can be every day, it is never far from our minds. For Children’s Sake stands against racism and is committed to work and services that encourage inclusivity and are anti-racist. We commit to adhering to the following steps.

1. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and agency where everyone feels empowered to have a voice, and feel they belong to the For Children’s Sake family.
2. We are committed to developing and providing diversity training and anti-racism training to our staff and our foster families.
3. We are committed to providing services for children and families of all races that are inclusive, supportive and educational.

We know we have a lot to do to change our world for the better with regard to racism. Working with children and families who are victims of institutional racism is a privilege and a commitment to talking about racism, to understanding how white privilege fits into institutional racism, and knowing that changing the way children are raised and see themselves, can change the world one child at a time.  Please join us in this collective and continued action to challenge racial injustice.
–Deborah K. Evans, LCSW, BCD
CEO, For Children’s Sake
See For Children’s Sake’s Cultural Competency & Diversity Plan by clicking here
Want to talk to your kids about current events? Check out the below article for some suggestions!
Talking to Kids About George Floyd

National Foster Care Month may be winding down, but For Children’s Sake is still hard at work approving new foster parents to help provide amazing care to our kiddos! Meet two of our new families below:
Benjamin Alderman & Alaina Hopkins
Benjamin Alderman and Alaina Hopkins are new parents here at FCS!
Benjamin was introduced to For Children’s Sake and fostering by his girlfriend, Alaina Hopkins, who’s mother is currently a FCS foster parent as well! Benjamin and Alaina live together, have a kind, loving, and strong relationship, and they want to be “role models and positive influences to help make children’s futures better”.
Alaina wants to “create a safe environment their foster child(ren) can experience, watch them flourish as individual(s) overtime, to help assist them to better understand their emotions, and how they can appropriately deal with them”.
Benjamin is looking forward to “build and develop connections and relationships with his foster children that can last a lifetime”, and “to have a family I could cherish and take care of, and to show them that they are loved and secure no matter what”.
D’Anthony Spann
Welcome to Dr. D’Anthony Spann! D’Anthony has wanted to be a foster dad for many years and was inspired by his family, faith, and friends, to become a foster dad. D’Anthony attends church every Sunday and plays the organ as well as several other instruments such as a keyboard, drums, saxophone, and clarinet, and enjoys singing in a gospel praise band, writing his own music, and creative writing. D’Anthony’s friends describe him as someone who “is happy, level-headed, and who enjoys laughter” and someone who has a “strong work ethic, honesty, and kindness in helping others”. D’Anthony says about fostering; “Fostering and Adoption is a mutually rewarding opportunity for chosen parents and children to genuinely experience a living demonstration, example and representation of the message of hope, strength, and care that is usually more spoken than purposefully shared.”
Yvette Garrett
Yvette has over 30 years of experience caring for, raising, and helping children who are in need of a safe and nurturing home. Yvette is tremendously kind and accepting of others, has a calming presence, and is patient and diplomatic. Yvette’s hobbies include cooking, reading, and planning family outings.
We’re so excited to have these families join us!

May is a time to acknowledge all of the ways that people can get involved with foster care and appreciate those who work closely with kiddos in care; social workers, families, and volunteers. Even more, it’s a time to work celebrate the resilience of those kiddos in care. Want to get involved and celebrate the month?
Learn more by reading our recent article spotlighting how foster care has been impacted by COVID 19:http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/articles/fairfax_county/it-s-national-foster-care-month/article_069f42d6-9092-11ea-92e2-03ffc2d95b25.html
Visit our Q&A site to learn more about foster care and learn more about children in need of homes. Call us today to learn more and to set up an information session, and learn more about becoming a foster parent!
Reach out to your local organizations to learn more about donations needed. Most foster children come into care with only a bag or two of belongings, and foster families are always in need of support with school supplies, clothing, hygiene products, grocery and gas gift cards, etc.
Advocate and help spread the word about local foster community needs! Reach out to a local organization to learn what they may need help with. Whether that’s reaching out to an organization you’re a part of to arrange for a speaker to talk about fostering, or approaching someone in your life letting them know you think they’d be a great foster parent, all outreach helps meet the number of families needed to care for the foster kiddos needed!
For Children’s Sake works across Northern Virginia to provide quality foster homes and support to foster children in need. We’re so lucky to have such a supportive community, from our volunteers and staff to our foster families and county partnerships. Want to learn more? Call us at 703-817-9890 or email [email protected] to learn more.

We can’t imagine how tough it is right now having kiddos stuck in the house, with so many emotions swirling around their heads and nothing to keep them busy! We’ve attached a list of resources here to help keep your kiddos calm, happy, and busy!
For more info on talking to your kiddos about COVID 19, click here
And helping answer little’s questions about them, click here
As well as not passing along anxiety to your child, click here
Want some suggestions for educational content for your children?
Check out Scholastic, Khan Academy, Education.Com, and this site that lists Educational Netflix Shows for all ages
And looking for ideas to keep your kiddos busy?
Visit this site or this site for lists of ideas to help you keep busy!
This workbook helps you create a COVID time capsule, helping your kiddos remember this time and keeping them busy!
You can also follow the Busy Toddler on Instagram and visit Kids Listen for audio stories and podcasts!
And check out this list of recommendations on how to work from home with kids.

For Children’s Sake (FCS) is a local therapeutic foster care agency that provides support to foster families as they help children in need. FCS also provides a variety of therapy services to the whole community. This month, FCS wants to address a disorder that affects approximately 9.4% of the children in the United States – ADHD.
What is ADHD?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder with symptoms that start at 3-6 years old, with a subset of symptoms that frequently continue into adulthood. Boys are much more frequently diagnosed than girls.
What Are the Symptoms?
Individuals with ADHD have ongoing problems with three different types of behaviors; inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Children frequently have trouble functioning at home and at school. Boys frequently present with more hyperactivity in a form that appears disruptive, whereas girls typically display more inattention. While these three behaviors can all present differently, some examples of these behaviors could include; seemingly careless frequent mistakes as the individual rushes through work, having trouble sitting still, interrupting, being easily sidetracked, not appearing to listen when being spoken to, and frequently losing or forgetting things.
What Causes ADHD?
ADHD is to some extent genetic, and if you have a relative with ADHD you are 25-35% more likely to have it. However, there are a number of other causes; prenatal exposure to alcohol or smoking, prematurity, and, in some cases, head injuries or toxins in the environment may lead to ADHD.
How Do You Treat It?
Everyone experiences ADHD slightly differently, and so there are a number of ways you can treat it. First and foremost, identifying a pediatric therapist that can assist in formally diagnosing your child or ruling ADHD out is key! ADHD symptoms can also be symptoms of anxiety, depression, and number of other disorders, so diagnosing is vital in determining treatment. From the diagnosis, a therapist may recommend continued therapy, medication, exercise and structured routines, and/or parenting skill and support groups to help you best understand how to support your child.
Other Resources/Sources
Thanks to the sites below for their information, all of which are great sources if you’d like to know more about ADHD!
National Institute of Mental Health www.nimh.nih.gov  
Center for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/  MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/attentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder.html
WebMD https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/understanding-adhd-basics 
You can also reach out to FCS at 703-817-9890 to learn about available services or to help a child in foster care.

The holidays can be a challenging time for a child in foster care. This may be their first time away from their biological family, or their first time in your home. Even if they have lived with you for holidays previously, meeting new family and having new traditions can be sad if you remember past holidays with your biological family. What are some ways you can help your child this holiday season?

1. Discuss your family’s traditions and family that may come in town ahead of time. This gives the child time to prepare themselves, so they are not surprised for the holidays, and gives them time to ask questions. If you have pictures from past years, you can show them so they can better visualize these events.
2. Ask your child about their past traditions in their biological homes, any dishes they are used to having as part of their holiday meals, etc. If they are open to sharing their traditions, consider asking them to show them to you and incorporate them in part of your holiday traditions.
3. Help the child in your care pick out gifts or make gifts for your family and their biological family. For younger children, make it a game to help them think of the best gift. If they have a gift for their biological family, or take pictures with family for the holidays, have them bring them to a visit with their biological family and hang them around the house.
4. Discuss expectations ahead of time. If the foster child is expected to go to certain events, hang out with the family for a certain amount of time, or participate in any games or activities, make sure they know what is expected ahead of time. If they are not able to meet those expectations, be sure to discuss this with your family ahead of time so they are aware and don’t put your foster youth in an uncomfortable position.
5. Most importantly, be flexible. The child in your care is likely having a tough time. If they look like they are struggling, be sure to take some time to let them process in a space by themselves and check in with them.

And, as always, remember you can check in with your case manager ahead of the holidays or call our on-call line in time of crisis!

The last few weeks at FCS have been so much fun as we’ve been gearing up for the holiday season! We’ve had an exciting event last weekend, and another one coming up this weekend!
Our Holiday Party is held every year to give a huge thank-you to our foster parents and to give gifts to all of the children in their homes. We held this year’s event at Uptown Alley and had so much fun! There was bowling, lots of great holiday snacks, and an arcade. Our foster parents had a great chance to catch up with each other, and all the children loved the games! We all had a great time and can’t wait for next year!
This weekend, we’ll be holding our JustSing event. For the first time ever, we are partnering with JustSing to raise awareness about the critical need for more foster parents. We plan to have a number of our foster families, our staff, and a huge group of local supporters, join us as we sing ‘I Won’t Give Up’ by Jason Mraz, as well as family and friends join us virtually from across the country. We cannot thank all of our supporters enough for celebrating the resilience of the children in foster care and helping raise awareness of the need for more foster children. Come join us at Independence High School from 11AM-1PM this Saturday! If you can’t make it, visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/fcsva to watch us live stream!

This September, we held a Fall Festival at Lake Ridge Marina & Golf, where all of our foster families were invited to come enjoy food and festivities. We decorated pumpkins, face-painted, played football, danced to music, and had a blast! We hope that all of our families enjoyed it and are looking forward to next year’s event.
We also held a video shoot at our Woodbridge office. We invited a number of our families to come out and share their foster experiences with a camera crew. For Children’s Sake is planning on rolling out these videos at the same time as they roll out a whole new look for the organization, and we’re so excited to share this look with our family soon! During this video shoot,  Cordelia Cranshaw, Ms. DC and someone who aged out of foster care before helping out youth in care, came by for a video appearance and to say hi to many of our kiddos and families! Thanks to Cordelia and to our amazing families for sharing your stories!