Greensboro, NC, Nov. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Since 1902 Children’s Home Society of North Carolina (CHS) has been instrumental in supporting adoption throughout North Carolina. Today, CHS is shining a light on the many pathways to adoption, and the post-adoption supports that help families remain strong and connected for life.
Each November, National Adoption Month brings national attention to adoption’s lasting impact, honoring families who have welcomed children into their lives and raising awareness for those still waiting to find permanent homes. Today in North Carolina, there are nearly 11,000 children in foster care, and every year, hundreds will age out of the system without a lasting family.
“Every child deserves the love and stability of a permanent family,” said Brian Maness, president and CEO of CHS. “Adoption is one of the most profound ways to change a child’s story, but it’s also a reminder that our work doesn’t end when a child finds a home. The real impact comes from helping families stay strong for life.”
Throughout November, CHS is featuring North Carolina families whose adoption journeys reflect the courage, commitment, and transformation that permanency brings. Through CHS’s website, YouTube channel, and social media, these stories underscore the stability, connection, and the support every family deserves.
Expanding awareness, strengthening permanency
National Adoption Month raises awareness for the children and youth still waiting for safe, loving, and permanent families. In North Carolina, CHS helps families navigate three primary paths to adoption, each offering a unique journey toward permanency:
- Adoption through foster care, the most common route, where licensed foster families may ultimately provide permanent homes for children when reunification with birth parents is not possible.
- Kinship adoption, when relatives or close family friends adopt children already in their care, preserving vital connections to family, culture, and community.
- Infant adoption through CHS’s Infant Connections program, a private domestic adoption service that supports birth parents and adoptive families through counseling, matching, and individualized guidance.
“Adoption is both a beginning and a continuation,” said Rebecca Starnes, chief program officer at CHS. “It’s the beginning of a new family story and the continuation of our commitment to walk beside that family for as long as they need us.”
Through Post Adoption Services, CHS provides lifelong support for adoptees, adoptive families, and birth relatives. Whether an adoption took place five years ago or 50, the program offers guidance, resources, and connection. Key services include:
- Support and education: Providing counseling referrals, parent coaching, and adoption-competent resources.
- Connection and guidance: Walking alongside individuals seeking to understand their history, identity, or medical background.
- Confidential Intermediary searches: Assisting adult adoptees and birth relatives in requesting and sharing information within North Carolina law.
How to get involved
North Carolinians can join CHS in recognizing National Adoption Month in a multitude of ways. You can learn more about adoption by attending an upcoming CHS foster care and adoption information session. You can share stories by following CHS on social media to amplify family voices and raise awareness. And you can make an impact that will last a lifetime by donating to help CHS expand programs that strengthen families statewide.
To learn more about adoption in North Carolina or explore ways to get involved, visit www.chsnc.org/adoption.
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About Children’s Home Society of North Carolina
Children’s Home Society of North Carolina offers a network of services and support throughout North Carolina to help establish and sustain healthy, loving relationships in every family. For over 120 years, Children’s Home Society has provided a broad spectrum of programs and services including adoption, foster care, parenting education, family preservation, and teen responsibility. CHS believes in the importance of family, not only in the life of a child but also in the foundation of a community. For more information, visit www.chsnc.org.
- Rebecca Starnes
- Children’s Home Society of North Carolina