How You Can Be Involved

• Becoming A Foster Parent
• Hanover Care for Kids Program

Becoming a Foster Parent

The Hanover Department of Social Services is pleased to announce a new series of pre-service training sessions for prospective foster parents.  These sessions will provide you with a multi-dimensional perspective of the foster care system. We will provide important information, which will facilitate your decision and ultimately your commitment to become a foster parent.  The training classes are free and open to all adults in the community.  The trainings are a requirement of Hanover County for all persons seeking to become a foster parent.

The sessions will adhere to the following schedule:

FOSTER PARENT ORIENTATION (attend ONE of these sessions)

FOSTER PARENT TRAINING (attend ALL sessions)

We look forward to working with you as you explore serving the children in our community.  All children deserve to live in a stable and safe home with loving adults.  You can provide this home by becoming a foster parent.

All sessions will be conducted at the Annex (satellite office) of the Department of Social Services, at 303 Ashcake Road, Suite K, Ashland, Virginia 23005.  Please call to register for the next nine-week course, dates to be announced.  You can reply by contacting Judy Davis at 804/365-4121 or jhd085@central.dss.state.va.us.
 

Hanover Care for Kids Program

Since January of 2002, the Department of Social Services has coordinated the Hanover Care For Kids (HCFK) program to help meet the day-to-day needs of children and youth who are in foster care.   Children who come into foster care do so for a variety of reasons (abuse or neglect, mental health needs, or their care giver’s struggles).  There are limited resources for addressing the multiple needs of the children who remain residents of Hanover County, particularly when they are placed outside the county.  Each child deserves to know that their needs will be met, the sense that they fit in to their community, and the involvement of supportive adults.  That is what HCFK is all about.

Through HCFK Sponsors, children and youth are provided with the “extras” that most of us take for granted as everyday amenities.  Eight bucks for a movie, change for the vending machine, having football cleats for football, the current style sweater or jacket; all the typical things that children and youth would typically rely on their parent to provide, are out of reach for kids in foster care, especially when they are placed in a group home or residential mental health or behavioral health facility. 

Please consider having your family, business, office, church or civic group volunteer to sponsor a child for a year.  Contact Karlyne Snead at (804) 365-4165 for more information or to volunteer.