When Jan and Christopher Soto found Northern Virginia Family Service’s (NVFS) Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC) program, they had already had 20 years of fostering experience under their belts.

Like many couples who choose to foster, the Sotos felt as though fostering is their calling, and they’re dedicated to ensuring each child they foster receives the necessary services to meet his or her needs. Becoming a foster parent with NVFS is an incredibly rewarding experience, one that is both fulfilling and worthwhile. Communication is key when becoming a foster parent, as is patience, an openness and willingness to accept and adapt and, most important, unconditional love.

In addition to their two biological children, Jan and Christopher also have five adopted children ranging from ages 19-34. Their foster care experience has primarily focused on children with traumatic backgrounds, and their goals with the children they foster is to guide them as far educationally and emotionally as they can.

“We want to ensure the children in our home know that they are special and important,” says Jan, who makes it a mission for the children she and Christopher foster to learn coping mechanisms to help them survive in an unfamiliar environment.

Through NVFS’ TFC program, Jan and Christopher have assisted in the placement of two children into loving homes, as well as fostered numerous children as they embark on their quest to find their forever home. NVFS is thankful for their commitment and their love for ensuring the children in Northern Virginia who seek their families receive all of the care and love they need along the way.