For Immediate Release
Nov. 5, 2003

Richmond — Governor Mark R. Warner announced today that the state has received a $2 million grant to implement a Rural Adoptive Family Initiative. It was one of only 10 grants awarded nationally for improving recruitment of adoptive parents in rural communities -- and the only award made to a state. "We want to find permanent homes for children in Virginia's foster care system, and that sometimes is difficult in rural areas," Governor Warner said. "This grant will help us aggressively recruit, train, and support rural families who will adopt children from the foster care system." The grant, which is $400,000 a year for the next five years, was awarded to the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. VDSS Commissioner Maurice A. Jones said, "This will be a collaborative effort. We will work with the Virginia One Church One Child Program, which is an organization dedicated to recruiting African American families, and with the Center for Adoption Support and Education, which is an independent post adoption services agency, and others in this effort. Our goal is to find stable, permanent, loving homes for children who need them."

VDSS will use demographic and census information about rural communities to target recruitment of adoptive parents, who will receive training to prepare for the special needs of the children. Local social services workers will receive technical assistance in making matches and providing post-placement services. The program will include attention to mental health and school issues faced by adoptive families.

To bring attention to the needs of foster care children who need homes, Virginia is joining in the observance of National Adoption Month during November.

Ellen Qualls
Office of the Governor
(804) 786-2211, x2379

Marcella Williamson
Public Affairs
(804) 692-1031
mkw900@dss.state.va.us