COVID-19 Updates
Campus Operations
We also wanted you to know about some changes to our campus operations. These changes have been enacted this week to comply with state and federal guidelines, as well as limiting exposure for our children and staff. Early childhood trauma leads to lowered immunity and higher health risks for our children, so their safety is of utmost concern at this time.
- All campuses are closed to the public until further notice.
- Farm volunteers in Winston-Salem are still on the job and we appreciate all they do.
March 20, 2020
Dear Crossnore Partner,
Thank you for your flexibility and patience as we work together to ensure the health and safety of our children, families, and staff. Crossnore School & Children’s Home values you, and we are striving to communicate openly and consistently during the rapidly changing environment surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. To that end, we want to inform you of the protective measures we are putting into place to protect everyone.
CAMPUS ACCESS:
As of March 17th, and until further notice, all our campus and office locations are closed to outside visitors and clients. Many of our staff are working remotely and direct care staff are continuing to provide excellent service for the children and families in our care.
CLINICAL SERVICES:
All face-to-face therapy services have been suspended including Day Treatment services. The Clinical team is working to implement technology-based therapy and psychiatric services for established Outpatient and Day Treatment clients as quickly as possible. At this time, all new client assessments for Outpatient and Day Treatment clients are on hold. During the week of March 16-23, clinicians reached out to all clients and families by phone to check-in and assess needs.
We hope and pray that these temporary precautions will prevent and delay the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We will continue to monitor this situation and remain in constant contact with our medical advisors, and we will communicate when it is prudent to lift these restrictions. Thank you for your partnership and support as we enact these temporary health precautions.
If you have any questions, please contact Johannes Steffin, Clinical Director, at jsteffin@crossnore.org or please feel free to contact me directly at bloftis@crossnore.org.
Many blessings,
Brett A. Loftis, JD
Chief Executive Officer
Crossnore Children
Our children are out of school and our cottage parents are working hard to keep them busy. Day treatment staff and Marjorie Williams Academy staff are pitching in to help make sure kids finish their school lessons and have plenty to do. With warmer weather, our kids have enjoyed riding their bikes, playing basketball, and doing sidewalk chalk outside. Cottages in Winston-Salem are spending time on the farm and are looking forward to getting their hands dirty in the greenhouse. Cottages on our Avery campus are enjoying arts, crafts, and board games. All in all, our children and staff are faring well. We appreciate your continued thoughts are prayers that everyone stays well.
Reminder that all visits and meetings will take place as originally scheduled, but via video-conferencing instead of in person.
We have set up a Foster Care Families page on Facebook to help us all stay connected. Please email your foster care supervisor or Alex Williams (ajwilliams@crossnore.org) for the link to that private group.
Foster Care Support Group & Trainings
We invite all of our Foster Parents to attend our weekly Foster Care Support Group via Zoom video conferencing.
This week (March 30-April 3), we will meet virtually on Thursday evening at 6:30pm for a training on “Making a Plan for Self Care and Family Wellness During This Time.” The trainer will be author, speaker, and former foster care youth, Shenandoah Chefalo.
Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/607897472
Upcoming Empower to Connect Conference
Join us for the Empower to Connect Conference Rewind in your own home! Sign up, for FREE, HERE. On the following training dates, we will be discussing each of the sessions as designated below.
April 9 6:30pm – TBRI and Trauma (Sessions 1 and 2)
April 16 6:30pm– Connecting (Sessions 3 and 4)
April 23 6:30pm– Empowering (Sessions 5 and 6)
April 30 6:30pm– Correcting (Sessions 7 and 8)
Please continue to visit crossnore.org/foster-care-adoptions to get information and to make inquiries about becoming licensed for foster care. We are still here to answer all of your questions!
Join us on Wednesday, April 1st at 6:30pm for a virtual foster care informational panel. Sign up HERE or email abollo@crossnore.org for more information.
Past Clients and Alumni:
At this time, due to social distancing protocols, Crossnore School & Children’s Home is not able to fulfill any requests for information/records that were recorded on paper charts. We would also like you to know that requests for electronic information/records may take up to 30 days or more to fulfill, due to staff being located off site and inability to access our electronic health record.
We plan to process requests for records ASAP. If you have any questions, you can email records@crossnore.org.
Our Retail Stores
The Blair Fraley Sales Store, Fine Arts Gallery, and Crossnore Weavers are currently closed to the public. The Sales Store has suspended pick-ups at this time, but is still accepting drop-offs.
You can shop online at crossnoreweavers.org. From now until April 15th, please enjoy 15% off with the code CWONLINE15 at checkout.
Miracle Grounds Cafe & Coffee Shop will be opened from Monday-Friday 7:30am-5:00pm for take-out orders. No entry into the restaurant will be permitted at this time, but you can place and receive your order at the front window (facing the street). Please call (828) 733-2247 to place your to-go order. We will be closed on Sundays and Saturdays at this time.
With children out of school and our campuses closed to outside visitors, Crossnore kids, cottage parents, and community-based foster families face unique challenges and additional stress.
Residential children on our Avery and Forsyth County campuses need new educational, entertainment, and therapy options to utilize during these days of shelter-in-place and social distancing. Board games, craft supplies, sidewalk chalk, sporting equipment, iPads, and tablets are greatly appreciated to allow multiple children to complete their distance learning assignments, participate in virtual therapy sessions, and to relieve boredom. (Our cottages currently have a very limited number of computers available for our children.)
Please visit our Amazon Wish Lists where we’ve prioritized our coronavirus/shelter-in-placeÂ
You can help our kids and help a local restaurant. Consider purchasing and donating restaurant gift cards, or making a donation toward restaurant food delivery for our campus kids. As you can imagine, both kids and cottage parents alike welcome a night off from cooking and doing dishes!
Community-based foster families would be grateful for local restaurant or grocery store gift cards. Order gift cards to Hendersonville-specific businesses or mail gift cards from your favorite local business to any of our three locations, and we will distribute to our foster families. Or, you may make a donation to cover respite childcare for a foster family whose group childcare facilities are now closed. Your gift will allow foster parents to make a quick trip to the grocery store or simply take a break for a quiet walk in the woods.
We realize these are tough times for everyone, and we appreciate and value the support of our community. With your help, our kids will face these tough times and build their resiliency skills in the process. Thank you for caring about the well-being of Crossnore kids and families by making your special gift today!
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