Winston-Salem, NC (December 17, 2024) — Crossnore Communities for Children is excited to expand their professional foster parenting model, Bridging Families©, throughout North Carolina. Thanks to a 2-year, $1.8 million contract from North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) and an additional $3.75 million grant from The Leon Levine Foundation, the expansion of Crossnore’s professional foster parenting model aims to address North Carolina’s current child welfare crisis by providing innovative, purpose-driven care for children and their families.
With the NCDHHS contract, the state has officially adopted Bridging Families© as the state’s model for professional foster parenting. This contract, along with the generous gift from The Leon Levine Foundation, will enable Crossnore to establish the Bridging Families Institute© and partner with other organizations to train and implement the program in regions throughout North Carolina.
The ultimate vision of Bridging Families© is seeing a world where children live with their families. The program uses a team approach that builds resilience to strengthen families, empowers birth parents through the support of professional foster parents, and walks with families through the reunification process. Foster parents are salaried organization employees whose sole responsibilities are parenting the children in their care and working with the family of origin toward reunification.
“This innovative model of care, utilizing professional foster parents, could change the face of foster care in our state,” said Brett Loftis, CEO of Crossnore Communities for Children. “It moves beyond a volunteer-based foster parent system and completely reimagines how families whose children have been removed experience the foster care system. Bridging Families alleviates many structural barriers of the current child welfare system, focusing on shared parenting, collaboration, quality time as a family, resource networking, and accelerated reunification. It also addresses a critical need for sibling groups, who are at risk of being separated if placed in traditional foster homes.”
“Bridging Families supports the ultimate goal of foster care—to help families be stronger and healthier and live together again,” said Susan Osborne, NCDHHS Deputy Secretary for Opportunity and Well-Being. “This program, specializing in reunification of sibling groups, partners with families providing the supports they need so children can be reunified safely with their family as soon as possible.”
The Leon Levine Foundation is a longtime friend and champion of Crossnore’s mission, helping fund crucial initiatives. With the help of this generous gift from the foundation, Crossnore will be able to standardize the model to adopt statewide, build a consultation team to support partner agencies who adopt the model, expand Crossnore’s current number of homes, and provide ongoing research and evaluation of the model.
“This gift is transformational,” said Caroline Hart, Crossnore’s Chief External Relations Officer & Deputy Director. “The Bridging Families© model not only serves children in foster care, but their families too. With this gift, The Leon Levine Foundation is partnering with Crossnore and NCDHHS to get children back home. The importance of the work cannot be overstated. We are incredibly grateful.”
“Seeing the vision of the Bridging Families Institute© come to life is deeply rewarding. It is a testament to what’s possible when we prioritize innovative and purposeful care for children and their families. I am incredibly grateful to those who have trusted us and invested in this work, making this vision a reality,” said Dr. Sarah Norris, Crossnore’s Chief Program Officer.
To find out more about the Bridging Families© program, visit crossnore.org/bridging-families. If you are an organization that is interested in starting a Bridging Families program, fill out a short inquiry form on the web page to schedule an informational meeting.
About Crossnore Communities for Children
For more than 100 years, Crossnore has been one of the most trusted names in child safety, protection, and welfare as a provider of holistic care, hope, and healing for children who have experienced trauma. Our promise to all children and families is to value and accept them wholly and to devote our exceptional resources to their needs. No organization is better positioned than Crossnore Communities for Children to give vulnerable families a broad-based ecosystem of support. To learn more, visit crossnore.org.
About the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
The NC Department of Health and Human Services manages the delivery of health- and human-related services for all North Carolinians, especially our most vulnerable populations – children, people with disabilities, older adults, and low-income families. Our vision is to advance innovative solutions that foster independence, improve health and safety, and promote well-being in every community across the state. The department works closely with health care professionals, community leaders and advocacy groups; local, state and federal entities; and many other stakeholders to make this happen. To learn more, visit ncdhhs.gov.
About The Leon Levine Foundation
The Leon Levine Foundation is a private charitable organization dedicated to making meaningful investments in initiatives that improve the lives of individuals and families. Through its investments, the Foundation intends to create pathways to self-sufficiency, champion strategies for permanent change, and facilitate opportunities for growth. To learn more, visit leonlevinefoundation.org.
