The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services will host an in-person event Friday, June 17, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. at Dorothea Dix Park (McBryde Building Lawn, 820 S. Boylan Ave., Raleigh, NC 27603) to observe National Foster Care Month and National Reunification Month. This event is open to the public, and all are welcome to join.
The purpose of this event is to increase awareness of North Carolina’s need for kinship caregivers and foster parents, to celebrate children and families, and to highlight the value of multi-sector partnerships in improving outcomes for children and youth in foster care.
Keynote speaker Senator Sydney Batch (NC Senate District 17) will be joined by local leaders, child welfare social workers, and individuals with lived experience, who will speak on the importance of permanency for children in foster care. Along with engaging speakers, the event will feature free food, a talent exhibition from youth in the community, a wide selection of informational vendors, and resources for people interested in becoming foster parents or kinship care providers.
National Reunification Month recognizes the primary objective in foster care, which is to provide services that enable children to be reunited with their biological parents whenever possible. When reunification is not an option, the main goal is to find permanency in a safe, nurturing environment that provides long-term stability and, for best outcomes, that maintains a strong bond with a child’s family, community and culture.
In case of inclement weather or extreme heat, the event will be moved to Haywood Gymnasium at Dorothea Dix Park (805 Ruggles Dr., Raleigh, NC 27603).