Foster care prevention program expands to Randolph County

Special to Randolph Record

An organization dedicated to keeping children out of the state’s foster care system is expanding its reach to Randolph County, thanks to a new state contract.

The Homebuilders program puts trained staff within a family’s home for three to five days a week, a total of 10 hours, to help improve child safety and help kids stay at home by removing risk rather than removing the child.

Crossnore Communities for Children is the company behind the program, which has seen success in pilots since 2021. The company says it has served 62 children and families, with a 96% success rate in avoiding foster care for children who were at imminent risk of entering that system.

The program was trialed in Davidson, Forsyth, Guilford and Surry counties and will be expanding to 11 more, including Chatham and Randolph. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, which offered the contract, estimates Crossnore will be able to serve as many as 170 families via the Homebuilders program each year.

“I am very excited to see how the initial investment our agency, community, and supporters made in this program has come to fruition and will lead to such a large impact for children and families we will continue to serve,” said Sarah Norris, Crossnore’s Chief Program Officer, in a statement.

For more information on the Homebuilders program and how you can help, visit crossnore.org