FOUNDATION SUPPORTS FIRST LADY HOLTON'S LAUNCH OF FOSTER CARE INITIATIVE

Foundation Chairman Ralph F. Boyd joins First Lady Anne Holton, foster youth and a social worker in presenting the "For Keeps" logo.

Virginia's First Lady Anne B. Holton has announced that foster care issues will be her major focus during her time as First Lady, and launched an initiative called "For Keeps." The initiative will partner with Virginia's human services agencies, the Freddie Mac Foundation, and other private organizations to find and strengthen permanent families for older children already in foster care or those at risk of entering the foster care system.

The "For Keeps" initiative will work to create opportunities for those in foster care to share their experiences, identify best practices and programs to identify stable family foundations for older children in foster care, and seek organizational partnerships to increase the focus on developing community-based supports for teens.

"As a juvenile court judge, I met so many older children and young adults in foster care trying to navigate the adult world without the stable family foundations that so many of us rely on," First Lady Holton said. "This program addresses the need for older children in foster care to have permanent family connections and community supports to ensure that they develop into successful, independent adults."

"For Keeps" will enlist the support of leaders in the human services fields to aid in the development of legislation pertaining to this initiative. First Lady Holton plans to conduct a listening tour across the Commonwealth to better understand regional issues and learn from best practices from successful local programs.

The Freddie Mac Foundation has donated approximately $100,000 to support the First Lady's efforts. "The Foundation is honored to be a part of this vital initiative, which fits into our mission of making home possible for foster children and youth," said Ralph F. Boyd Jr., Freddie Mac executive vice president of Community Relations and chairman of the Freddie Mac Foundation. "Like all children, teenagers need and deserve permanent family connections to be successful, and the First Lady's work with foster youth will go a long way to help find them families. We are proud to partner with her in this effort."

"I would like to thank the Freddie Mac Foundation for their generous support in this public-private partnership, and hope to use their example to encourage other organizations to join us in our efforts to improve the lives of Virginia's children," First Lady Holton said.

For more information about First Lady Holton's initiative, please visit www.ForKeepsVirginia.org.

Created by Freddie Mac in 1991, the Freddie Mac Foundation is dedicated to creating hope and opportunity for children and their families. As the largest corporate funder in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, Freddie Mac and the Freddie Mac Foundation have invested nearly $280 million in organizations serving the community.