North Raleigh Today

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) announced a significant initiative to support families exiting the foster care system with the statewide expansion of the Success Coach program. This program, a partnership between the Duke Endowment and Catawba County Department of Social Services, aims to aid in the transition towards a comprehensive permanency support model for families.

The Success Coach program, designed to be voluntary and in-home, offers families individualized coaching, advocacy, and resource navigation for up to two years at any point in their journey. This service, which does not incur any cost for the participating families, seeks to fortify family bonds, enhance protective factors, and mitigate the risks of reentry into the foster care system.

"Every child deserves a safe, loving and stable family, and Success Coach is a key part of our commitment to making that a reality for all families exiting foster care," said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. He emphasized that the program’s statewide expansion ensures consistent, high-quality support for families throughout North Carolina.

The program engages specialized social workers, or Success Coaches, who collaborate directly with families to determine their needs, develop success plans, and connect them with additional community resources. Services offered may include parenting support, crisis prevention, and case management, among others, addressing access challenges particularly in North Carolina's rural counties.

Catawba County has seen notable success with this program. As Lisa Tucker Cauley, Division Director of Human Services, noted, "Catawba County families have long benefitted from Success Coach Services." She credited a strong partnership with the Duke Endowment and Catawba County that enabled this expansion across North Carolina.

The program's early data indicate positive outcomes in Catawba County, including improved mental health, stronger parent-child relationships, and sustained placement stability. Notably, no child from the county has reentered the foster system within a year after exiting in the past decade.

Through the statewide rollout, NCDHHS aims to continue improving permanency outcomes, reduce placement disruptions, and positively impact the long-term well-being of children and families across the state. Karen Harrington, Catawba County DSS Director, remarked, "Success Coach is already showing great results for improving permanency among families in Catawba County, and we know this program is a game-changer for children and families across the state."

NCDHHS has allocated over $16.5 million in funding for the expansion, supported by regional vendors Catawba County DSS, Boys & Girls Homes of North Carolina, and Children’s Home Society of North Carolina. These organizations will assist local social service departments in implementing and training for the program.

Eligible families include those exiting foster care through reunification, guardianship, custody, kinship care, or adoption. The services are intended to offer ongoing support to families as they rebuild relationships post-foster care or adoption, allowing for re-engagement with the program as needed.

This initiative represents a critical part of NCDHHS's broader strategy to establish a robust, consistent permanency support system in North Carolina, potentially serving as a model for other states seeking innovative solutions for long-term family stability.

For further information on the Success Coach providers in North Carolina, resources can be found via Catawba County DSS, Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, and Boys & Girls Home of North Carolina.