Formed Families Forward

Goal: $4,000.00

Specific Need

Spring Forward Family Fun Day for Foster, Adoptive, and Kinship Families is our largest annual event. Parents, caregivers and professionals have an opportunity to learn from sessions presented by experts in education and support of foster, adoptive and kinship families while connecting with other families who understand their journey, joys, and struggles. Meanwhile the children in their care are engaged in trauma-informed, engaging activities throughout the day - childcare is provided for children under the age of 4, children age 4-9  take part in outdoor activities organized by Camp Sarraka, and youth ages 10 and up engage in GMU's outdoor experiential challenge course "The EDGE". 

We are seeking funds to provide scholarships for youth to help defray the cost for caregivers. Just $40 would help reduce costs for families, and $80 would cover all expenses for one child. (We typically have 50+ youth in attendance each year.)

Mission

We are a family-led nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting foster, kinship, and adoptive families of children and youth with disabilities and other special needs. We offer critical resource tools to empower families to advocate for better special education, behavioral health and other services for the children in their care. Services to Northern Virginia parents, caregivers and family-serving professionals include training and events, peer supports, resource navigation and parenting and youth classes.

Formed Families Forward’s mission is to improve developmental, educational, social, emotional and post-secondary outcomes for children and youth with disabilities and other special needs through provision of information, training and support to adoptive and foster parents, and kinship caregivers.