Since the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic we have maintained our commitment to our communities, our staff, and mission delivery. We have operated with these clear goals in mind: keeping services running and accessible to the full extent possible; keeping our staff employed and paid; continuing on our mission, every child in a family, every family in a community, now and for the future.
Our staff, with the support of our board of directors, the generosity of funders and donors, and a whole lot of heart, continue to meet the needs of children, young people, and families.
Our data during this time confirms that we are delivering on our mission – keeping in contact with 85% of our people and reaching out to hundreds more. Our staff hunkered down and got to work using all the technology available to them and coming up with creative ways to keep connected. Thank you to our staff, who made countless phone calls, emails, texts, video chats, and driveway meetings to keep children, youth, and families connected to crucial supports and resources. Important conversations were held with our foster families about the recent racial incidents and how it impacts their family. Self-care packages filled with coffee, teas, and aromatherapy candles were delivered to our Live Out Loud Youth (a social and support group for LGBTQ+ youth) as they celebrated Pride Month while social distancing. And, just this past week, the courts opened via video conferencing, and we had our first virtual adoption!
Over the next few weeks, we will be phasing staff back into our offices on a rotating basis. We have trained our staff in extensive preventive measures and will maintain all health and safety protocols for the well-being of our staff and communities. We hope to have our spaces full again as soon as we are able with those looking for a new beginning after the shut-down.