Adoption

Each year, nearly 100 children are adopted by loving families with LFS assistance. The LFS adoption program offers information, referral, adoptive home studies, and post-placement supervision to those seeking to adopt children from the United States and internationally. Pre- and post-adoption counseling and educational programs are also provided. Our Special Needs Adoption Program (SNAP) helps identify adoptive families for children in North Carolina, focusing on children who are older, belong to a sibling or minority group, or have special medical or emotional conditions.

Foster Care

With LFS supervision and support, loving families provide care to more than 500 children across the Carolinas each year. LFS therapeutic families are trained to meet the special physical and emotional needs of the vulnerable children in their care. Some children suffer from medical problems such as fetal alcohol syndrome, drug addiction, and HIV. Older children can have emotional problems and are given counseling when needed. Many families have the opportunity to adopt when reunification with the child’s biological family is not possible. Finding permanent, safe, and supportive families for children is the goal of LFS Foster Care.

Residential Services

LFS group homes for children serve youngsters who have any combination of emotional, mental, and physical problems, and provide a haven where they learn responsibility and respect for self and others. Children come to LFS through court order or Departments of Social Services and Mental Health. Independent living skills are instilled and youth learn how to manage their behaviors and live cooperatively in the community.