Family and Youth Initiative

Learn more or take the first step toward being a mentor, host parent, or adoptive parent at DCFYI program orientation. Monday January 22. RSVP from the website calendar.

 

Have something you want to share on the DCFYI blog? Let us know!

Being loved has taught me how to love.

A Christmas homecoming: After years in foster care, a boy finds his place.

Virginia has high percentage of youth aging out of foster care.

Onstage, Escaping the Pain of Her Childhood.

Former foster care youth find homes thanks to nonprofit.

 

Want to see more? Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter. We post links of interest on both feeds.

 

Because teens are waiting

 

Can I designate 2018 as the year of family? It may seem arbitrary unless you consider that teens waiting for family can never get back the years they continue to wait.

While it is never too late to find a family, teens would rather have that family now - so they can build relationships, have support, and make lasting memories.

Some DCFYI teens are reluctant to talk about adoption; the longer they wait the less likely they think it is that anyone will adopt them.

One teen recently said, "I don't want to say the A word but I still want a family. I want to live with parents who actually care about me." It breaks my heart that she feels like she is bouncing from one foster home to the next without getting the basic connection and caring she so desperately wants.

So we are going to work hard as hard as we can to help that teen and others who also want to be adopted find their families this year.

Maybe you have thought about adoption yourself or you know someone who has (maybe even someone who tried and got frustrated by the process or system issues). Make 2018 the year to move beyond thinking about adoption. Join us for events, call if you have questions, help us spread the word.

Help us make 2018 the year of family. Some pretty wonderful teens are waiting.

Thank you.

Wishing you a wonderful 2018, full of family, fun, and memory-making activities,
Susan


Program Events

Join us for fun and to get to know DCFYI teens:

  • Bowling, Saturday January 20;
  • Cooking 101, Saturday February 3.

Information on those and other events on the website calendar. Please RSVP for all events there.

We look forward to seeing you.


Thank you

To everyone who contributed so generously and helped us fulfill teens' wish lists at the holiday party.

And to everyone who donated to DCFYI last year - whether end of year or earlier. Teens would not be finding families if not for you.    

Thank you.

 


Support DCFYI

What does a donation to DCFYI mean?

Best friends - "all the people I trust are people I have gotten to know through DCFYI"

Activities that build self-confidence - "I really had fun; I was scared but it was a good experience"

Adults who change the lives of teens - "People weren't looking for a teenager to become their lifelong connection, well that's what I thought until DCFYI."

Your support makes this possible.

Thank you.

853 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Suite 200
Washington, DC 20003

To forward this mailing to friends or colleagues, click here.

Unsubscribe from this list or opt out of all emails from us

Read this on your browser: https://www.dcfyi.org/civicrm/mailing/view?reset=1&id=356