Connecting Hearts hosted a successful all-day summit for adoption and foster care professionals last Thursday, November 5th. Professionals joined together from every part of the commonwealth from state and private agencies to nonprofit organizations. The event featured talks by Governor Terry McAuliffe, Secretary of Health and Human Resources William A. Hazel Jr. MD, and Virginia’s Adoption Champion Debbie Johnston.
During his keynote speech, Governor McAuliffe laid out a goal for the over 860 children in Virginia waiting for a forever family. Governor McAuliffe said, “Let’s make it a goal – all of us in this room – that one year from today all 860 of these children will be adopted.” This proclamation was met with cheers from the adoption and foster care workers in the crowd.
The summit included eight solutions-focused workshops and two panel discussions. Since its inception this spring, Connecting Hearts and Virginia’s Adoption Champion have travelled around the state to hear more about which areas of the system need attention. These issues were then addressed at the summit in an effort to pool resources and to better help foster youth in Virginia.
Connecting Hearts in Virginia – A Deborah J Johnston Charity is an adoption and foster care support nonprofit lead by Virginia’s Governor-appointed Adoption Champion Debbie Johnston. Connecting Hearts ensures that every child in Virginia has the opportunity for a loving home through addressing support needs across the state, partnering with other organizations, spreading awareness, and advocating. Virginia is home to over 5,000 children in foster care and over 860 children are waiting to be adopted.
To learn more about the available kids, call 1-800-DO-ADOPT or visit www.dss.virginia.gov. For more information about Connecting Hearts and to learn how you can get involved, visit www.ConnectingHeartsVA.org or connect with us at www.facebook.com/ConnectingHeartsVA or www.twitter.com/ConnectHeartsVA.
