Foster Care

Campus-based foster care provides structured, family-style cottage homes on both our Avery and Winston-Salem campuses for children and adolescents in foster care. Youth live in stable, nurturing environments led by professional Cottage Parents who serve as reliable caregivers and positive role models.

Children benefit from established safety, predictable routines, healthy relationship-building, life skills development, and a supportive community designed to ensure safety, well-being, and a sense of belonging. Cottage Parents provide daily supervision, guidance, and encouragement while helping youth work toward their individual goals—including permanency, education, and important life skills.

Interwoven with campus-based foster care and therapeutic services, experiential learning—which includes recreation, spiritual life, adventure-based education, a student work program, and service learning—is an integral part of our holistic model of care. As we walk alongside children on their journey toward hope and healing, we care for them physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

While our spiritual faith practice is rooted in Christianity, we provide reasonable accommodations for children to practice other faith traditions.

Bridging Families™ believes children belong with their families. We help birth parents and their children nurture and grow their family relationships while children are placed in our care.

As part of Bridging Families™, children in care receive professional mental health services, medical services, case management, educational assistance, recreational opportunities, and a strong support network. Birth Parents receive an organized structure for collaboration with Bridge Parents, parenting skills curriculum and coaching, psychoeducation on trauma, nurturing relationships with team members, and service access assistance. The whole family will enjoy enhanced family time in a natural environment and family therapy.

Bridge Parents are trained in trauma-informed care and bridge the gap by caring for children in a Crossnore home. Additionally, the Bridging Families^© team walks alongside families during the reunification process. As part of the team, birth parents participate in planning and decision-making all along the way.

Bridging Futures™ helps young adults transition into adulthood with stability, community, and the skills they need to thrive. Our team approach supports youth as they build life skills for adulthood, strengthen their social networks and support systems, and navigate education, employment, personal growth, and daily life.

The Bridging Futures program serves young adults ages 17-21 who are in the custody of the Department of Social Services. We provide individualized support across educational, vocational, social, and independent living domains. Our goal is to address unmet needs and improve the health, well-being, and long-term stability of youth as they transition out of foster care.

Modeled after our Bridging Families program, Bridging Futures teams are comprised of professional foster parents, a licensed clinician, a care manager, and a supervisor. Each team serves no more than 15 young adults, allowing for high levels of attention and support.

Crossnore’s adoption program is designed for families seeking to adopt a child through foster care, providing supportive resources and services unique to foster adoption. Serving children ages 3-18 impacted by the child welfare system, Crossnore works to find loving, permanent homes and families for waiting children for whom reunification is not possible.

We work diligently to connect children with extended family through kinship adoption or with families desiring to adopt from foster care. We focus on bringing children and families together thoughtfully to ensure the family-building we support is grounded in connection, belonging, and long-term stability. We provide licensing services and placement facilitation, as well as family therapy and other supports during the placement process and post-adoption.