Courtesy photos.
VENTURA — Strengthening VC Families’ Homes with Heart VC, a program of Ventura County Children and Family Services, recently announced the grand opening of their first ever Care Closet, to ensure all families in Ventura, including resource and biological families, have important necessities readily available during their toughest moments.
The agency held a socially distanced ribbon cutting event at their recruitment location in Oxnard, where Homes with Heart VC leadership came together with resource and biological families, as well as local volunteers who were involved in setting up the Care Closet.
The Care Closet was developed by devoted recruitment staff at Homes with Heart VC in conjunction with loyal community partners to ensure the closet had all the crucial supplies families need to care for their children and youth. Ventura County Assistance League helped Homes with Heart VC’s recruitment team by providing donated items and storage organization support and Community Bible Church from Ventura, graciously donated diapers, and formula.
“We are so excited to announce the launch of our Care Closet, this is yet another innovative resource we have developed to make life a little easier for our families in need,” said Jaci Johnson, Program Coordinator III in Recruitment at Ventura County Children and Family Services. “We are exceptionally grateful to our partners for stepping in to provide supplies and assistance to ensure our Care Closet is filled to the brim with important items and supplies our families need – we feel very blessed.”
Strengthening VC Families has made a paradigm shift away from rescuing children and rather supporting and strengthening families toward reunification whenever safely possible. The Care Closet is one of the many resources available to resource and biological families to provide the crucial support needed to strengthen and guide them toward a successful future ahead. To learn how you can get involved and support our families, visit HomeswithHeartVC.org
Homes with Heart VC?? — Recognized as a best practice leader statewide in the family recruitment and support component of child welfare, Ventura County Children and Family Services’ Homes with Heart VC, previously known as Foster VC Kids, was developed to increase the amount of loving?resource families who are ready to take in children in need in Ventura County. This initiative provides resource families with ongoing support services, trauma-informed training, and mentorship?to enhance the safety, permanency and well-being of Ventura County’s youth and families.? Learn how Ventura County Children and Family Services’ Homes with Heart VC is making a difference throughout Ventura County,? www.homeswithheartvc.org