The Our Children Fund

The Our Children Fund was created to provide financial assistance for "normalizing" items and experiences to children in the Fairfax County foster care system between the ages of birth and 17 years and young adults between the ages of 18 and 21 if permanency (return home, relative placement, or adoption) is not achieved and addresses their otherwise unmet medical, social, emotional, and education needs.

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Nationwide, approximately 23,000 youths age out of foster care annually. Of those, 20% are at the risk of becoming instantly homeless. The Fund will address their otherwise unmet medical, social, emotional, and education needs.

At this time, there are approximately 260 foster care children in the County. In an effort to guarantee that foster care children have access to and can participate in “normal” activities, this fund is available to foster care families who are in need of additional financial resources.

Examples of items that could be funded include afterschool activities, camps, and sports fees. Other items to be considered include dental and health services.

“I created the Our Children Fund at the Community Foundation to build a dedicated source of support for the daily, immediate, and unmet needs of children in the Fairfax County foster care program and young adults for whom permanency has not yet been achieved. It is critically important that our foster children are not forgotten. They are in the foster care system because they are victims. They have done nothing wrong. If the Our Children Fund helps just one child in foster care feel more normal and supported, it will be worth it.”

— Deborah G. Matthews, Trust and Estate Attorney, founding donor of the Our Children Fund

Foster Care Families: Learn More & Apply

Online applications will be signed by a foster care parent, adult foster child, social worker, or other responsible adult. Disbursements will be considered by the Community Foundation once the request has been substantiated by a third party such as a case worker, social worker, teacher, other school personnel, medical professional, clergy member or the like. Disbursements from the Fund shall be made on a rolling basis, as the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation shall determine to be appropriate.

There is an urgent need for foster parents in Northern Virginia. Consider attending an information session at https://www.umfs.org/get-involved/become-a-foster-parent-virginia/?q=foster

Amount

Will be determined on a case by case basis.

Eligibility

The funds from the Our Children Fund are open to Foster Care children in Fairfax County between the ages of birth and 17 years and young adults between the ages of 18 and 21 if permanency (return home, relative placement, or adoption) is not achieved and addresses their otherwise unmet medical, social, emotional, and education needs.

Applications Due

On a rolling basis

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