SAFY

When youth need care, sometimes the greatest strength comes from within their own family circle.

SAFY is proud to honor all families this National Kinship Care Month.

Informed Families. Stronger Communities.

Children and teens are growing up in a digital world that changes every day. Informed conversations about technology can help adults support safe, responsible choices.

Join us this week for a free community training with Richard Guerry.

Register now: https://qr.safy.org/DigitalSafety

Technology shapes how youth learn and connect today. For caregivers and professionals, staying informed about the digital landscape is a practical part of supporting young people well.

SAFY is hosting Teaching Digital Safety, Empathy & Mindfulness with Richard Guerry, founder of the Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communication (IROC2) and an award-winning digital safety educator with more than a decade of experience working with students, families, and community organizations.
This free virtual training covers social media safety, online gaming, AI awareness, and practical tools for building empathy and responsible digital behavior.

Monday, September 21 | 6:00 – 7:30 PM Eastern

Read more in our blog and register for the training: https://www.safy.org/news-and-resources/digitalmediasafetytraining.

Children and youth in foster care come from different communities, backgrounds, and family structures. They may be infants or teenagers, siblings who need to stay together, or children who have navigated significant changes before arriving in a new home. Those experiences can shape how they communicate, build trust, and respond to new environments.

Foster parents do not need to have all the answers on day one. What children need most is a safe home with patient, consistent caregivers who are willing to learn what that particular child needs.

Learn more in this month's blog: https://www.safy.org/news-and-resources/interested-in-becoming-a-foster-parent-heres-everything-you-need-to-know

The transition to adulthood can be challenging for any young person. For youth experiencing foster care, having access to resources that support education, employment, and housing can make a meaningful difference. We're grateful for the opportunity to contribute to important conversations about policies that impact the young people we serve.

South Carolina is considering a change that would allow Social Security survivor benefits to remain available for youth in foster care rather than being used to offset the cost of care. According to state officials. In a recent Spectrum News story, SAFY of South Carolina Treatment Director LaQuista Peterson discussed how these benefits can help young people as they transition to adulthood, supporting expenses such as education, housing, transportation, and employment.

South Carolina intends to end ‘orphan tax’ on foster children The practice could effect 300 of the roughly 3,500 children currently in South Carolina’s foster care system, according to SCDSS.

Happy National Grandparents Day!

As Fred Rogers reminds us, grandparents connect our past with our future. Today, we celebrate the grandparents and grandparent figures whose love and steady presence help shape the lives of children and make the world a little brighter.

In honor of National Grandparents Day, we’re resharing our Grandfamilies resource. Explore this resource and learn more here:https://www.fredrogersinstitute.org/files/resources/121/serving_grandfamilies.pdf

Informed Families. Stronger Communities.

Technology helps us stay connected, but it also creates new opportunities to teach empathy, respect, and responsible decision-making.

Join SAFY’s free virtual training to learn practical ways adults can help young people build healthy digital habits.

Register today: https://qr.safy.org/DigitalSafety

Foster care provides children and youth with a safe, stable home when they cannot remain with their families. It is a temporary arrangement, and every child's circumstances are different.

Foster care and adoption serve different purposes and involve different commitments. Foster care focuses on providing care and consistency for children while families work toward stability. When possible and appropriate, the goal is to support a child's safe return to their family.

This month's blog walks through how foster care works and what foster families can expect. Read more at https://www.safy.org/news-and-resources/interested-in-becoming-a-foster-parent-heres-everything-you-need-to-know

From social media and gaming to artificial intelligence and emerging technology, today’s digital landscape continues to change.

Join SAFY for a free virtual training designed to help families and caregivers better understand the opportunities and challenges young people face online.

Register here: https://qr.safy.org/DigitalSafety