Social Development Department honours foster parents across
The Social Development Department brought together foster parents from across the Virgin Islands for an educational session hosted by the Children and Family Support Services Unit, recognising long-standing carers and offering professional development for new and experienced families. The Government’s recent press release added fuller remarks of gratitude from Minister Vincent O. Wheatley and reiterated the Department’s commitment to training, community engagement and stronger child safeguarding systems.
The Social Development Department recently brought foster parents together from across the Virgin Islands for an educational session hosted by the Children and Family Support Services Unit to recognise and support their continued dedication to children in care. The event celebrated long‑standing foster families who have provided safe, loving and stable homes for children in need, while also offering professional development, guidance and encouragement for newer carers.
Foster parents were presented with tokens of appreciation and encouraged to continue partnering with the Department to ensure children have safe, nurturing and secure homes, according to the Social Development Department. Minister for Health and Social Development, Honourable Vincent O.
Wheatley, praised the honourees for their compassion and steady commitment. “Foster parents play an essential role in our society because they step forward when others cannot,” he said. The Government’s press release expanded that message, with Wheatley adding: “On behalf of the Government of the Virgin Islands, I express heartfelt gratitude to every foster parent for answering the call and for prioritising the wellbeing of our children.” These comments were included in the Social Development Department’s and Government of the Virgin Islands’ accounts of the event.
The educational programme featured presentations from Licensed Clinical Psychologist Dr Michelle M. Martin‑Dowe and Education Officer Afiya Smith, who shared practical insight on recognising and responding to trauma, understanding developmental needs and using behaviour‑support strategies that promote healing and stability.
Coordinator of Employee Relations and Licensed Clinical Social Worker Kimra DeWindt delivered guidance on meeting emotional needs in foster households and managing challenging situations with supportive, healthy approaches. Programme Director for Children and Family Support Services, Laurel Freeman, commended foster families for their patience, resilience and unconditional care. “Fostering involves patience, resilience and unconditional care.
Our foster families have demonstrated these qualities again and again,” Ms Freeman said, according to the Department. In the Government’s press release she also emphasised the Department’s ongoing aims: “As we work to strengthen our foster care system, we recognise that no one walks this path alone.
We are committed to building a supportive network of practitioners, educators and foster parents working together to ensure every child in our care has the opportunity to grow, heal and thrive.” Organisers used the session both to recognise service and to strengthen the foster care system through practical learning.
Presentations focused on behaviour, trauma‑informed care, child development and family support strategies designed to help carers promote stability and healing for children who have experienced loss or trauma. The Ministry of Health and Social Development reiterated plans to continue emphasising training, community engagement and improved resources for foster carers.
The Department encouraged foster parents and residents interested in learning more about fostering or available training to contact the Social Development Department; the Government press release included departmental contact details for further enquiries. By combining recognition with professional development, the Department said it hopes to build stronger family support networks, expand child safeguarding systems and raise public awareness about fostering as a way of transforming lives for vulnerable children across the Virgin Islands.
Primary source: BVI Government