Children's Home Society of Virginia
CHSVA is a private nondenominational, statewide child welfare agency supporting every child's right to expect a permanent family. They provide birth parent and pregnancy counseling for any resident of Virginia facing an untimely pregnancy or child-related crisis. Temporary foster care is available with agency-licensed families within the community. Adoption services are provided for birth parents who choose placement. They support a variety of adoption options, including open adoption of all types and traditional placements.
Programs Supported by the Community Action Fund:
Provides impartial, non-directive pregnancy counseling and birth parent services to enable clients to make the best possible decisions for themselves and their children. A team of experienced counselors helps clients explore all of their options. It is common for staff to work with extended family members and birth fathers as well as birth mothers. This often helps individuals develop communication and problem-solving skills as they make decisions for the future. In addition, the program uses an extensive network of referral sources to assist women in applying for benefits, locating housing, obtaining employment, and accessing other needed services. For those parents who believe their children will be able to rejoin them following a foster care placement, the program uses social workers and foster parents to help prepare them for parenthood through teaching and modeling.
The adoption program works to ensure that children eligible for adoption are placed in safe, permanent homes. As some children cannot stay with their birth families, alternative placements must be found. The program identifies the needs of these children through social, medical, and psychological assessments. Once a child’s needs have been identified, the program locates the most appropriate family to meet those needs. After careful review, placements are made and supervisory home visits are conducted to ensure the child’s needs are being met appropriately.
The foster care program provides children with safe, nurturing homes while their birth parents prepare for their return or adoption plans are developed. While children are in foster care, the program works to meet their physical and emotional needs through an extensive network of resources. Caseworker visits are conducted at least once every thirty days and at least every other visit takes place in the foster home. Direct services are provided to foster parents as well as to children who are old enough to benefit from counseling. Clothing, formula, transportation, and medical care may also be provided through the program. Whether a return home or an adoption is in a child’s future, this program works to ensure that a smooth transition is planned and executed.
