Our most recent I Belong Day was held at the Richmond Metro Zoo with 18 kids and 44 volunteers. One of our biggest events to date.

These young people were so brave and courageously shared their stories and dreams all with the hope of connecting with an adoptive family before they age out of foster care.

The I Belong Project unites volunteers, local businesses, creatives, social workers, and faith leaders to create a trauma-informed ‘video and photo shoot’ experience that features children in foster care waiting for an adoptive family. The program includes a full day of immersive activities and customized experiences aimed at building self-worth, encouraging kids to find their unique voice, and building a sense of belonging. Children are empowered to share their stories and unique attributes with a trained interviewer.

The end result of this experience is a recruiting package of photos, inspiring quotes, and a high-quality video which can be used to generate inquiries from interested foster families willing to adopt.

This recruiting package becomes the catalyst for a partnership between VKB, local and state DSS case managers, private placement agencies case managers, and a state-wide network of concerned community members with the goal of matching each child with a safe, loving family and helping that child achieve permanency.

To date, approximately 50% of kids who participate in the I Belong Project find adoptive families within 12 months versus potentially staying in the foster care system for years or aging out.

Because of Virginia’s low national ranking for the percentage of youth aging out of foster care without finding a permanent home, the I Belong Project remains one of the strongest programmatic interventions the Commonwealth supports to make progress in moving the needle on this statistic.