A Second Chance, Inc. Highlights Kinship Care Success Stories in its Newly Released Annual Report

PITTSBURGH, Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- To educate the community on the importance of Kinship Care, A Second Chance, Inc. has just released its 2010 Annual Report based on the theme "Every Child Touched By A Second Chance, Inc. Has a Right to be Safe and Must Thrive."  The report features kinship care facts and success stories.

As a result of its success in providing stability, permanency and fiscal accountability, A Second Chance, Inc., has become a national model for kinship care and child safety. Recent statistics reveal that over 400,000 youth in the U.S. are in the foster care system, which makes the kinship care alternative more important than ever. According to ASCI Board Chairperson Lisa Holt, "A Second Chance, Inc. continues to support the notion that kids placed in relative care fare much better and achieve better permanency outcomes."  Here is one example:

"With the intervention of a Foster Care Caseworker, a mother and son's relationship was saved.  The young man was demonstrating defiant behaviors and ultimately was referred for treatment services.  During treatment, the mother and son maintained regular visitation, which enabled them to remain connected as a family.  The mother remained motivated to regain custody of her son and with further support from her foster care caseworker, the mother was able to successfully complete all required goals.  In the end, the pair were reunited, and on-going post-discharge visits by the caseworker are proving that this family was meant to be together."  This is just one example of the many successful outcomes of Kinship Care.

A Second Chance, Inc. is in its 16th year of operation and continues to seek ways to strengthen its kinship families.  For the past year, A Second Chance, Inc. has been transitioning its organizations through a new initiative entitled the Kinship Strength Empowerment Assessment.  This initiative focuses on assessing the risk situation of families and allocating effective forms of intervention and resources to mediate any identified risks.  The goal of this initiative is to ensure that children thrive in their environments.  This is one of many tools that A Second Chance, Inc. has incorporated to help fulfill the organization's vision of creating "a world where all youth are given an equal opportunity to grow into responsible adults; where abuse and addiction cycles are broken."

For more information about A Second Chance, Inc., call 412-342-0600 or visit www.asecondchance-kinship.com.

A Second Chance, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation that has provided kinship foster care services to thousands of Allegheny County and Philadelphia children and families since its establishment in 1994. Since its inception, 80% of the children served by ASCI achieved some form of permanency (25% reunified with their birth families; 22% were adopted by their kinship caregivers; 3% had their caregivers become their legal custodians; 4% moved on to independent living; and 26% achieved other forms of permanency). The organization has served over 10,500 kinship foster children.

SOURCE A Second Chance, Inc.