![]() Debra is a teacher during the day who also tutors students in the evening. The family didn’t need any help loving Kiara, but they did need some immediate practical support. “She just wanted to make sure we were all here.” Every hour or so, Kiara would awaken, pull herself to stand, and peek over the sides of her portable crib. “Couches, chairs … we all huddled up,” Debra recalls. Kids want out.”įor the first few weeks, the whole family slept together in the living room. I thought, ‘This is not normal,’” Debra says. Debra described her as having “no hair and a bloated stomach.” When Debra placed Kiara in a playpen, she noticed the baby reacted differently than other children likely would at that age. A toxic amount of Fentanyl dusted her clothing and few belongings, including her pacifier. When Kiara arrived at the Taylors’ home, she was sick and traumatized. ![]() Getting started: Concrete needs and licensing Through support from its partnership with A Second Chance, Inc., Allegheny County has a 65% kin placement rate. Its transportation department provides up to 3,000 trips per month for school, visitation, and other appointments. The agency currently serves 1,800 children every day in Allegheny and Philadelphia counties. Since opening its doors in 1994, A Second Chance, Inc. 2 In addition to serving the Pittsburgh area, ASCI provides similar services in Philadelphia and offers training and consultation to jurisdictions around the country to support all members of the kinship triad - the child, birth family, and caregivers - in determining and achieving their own best outcomes. a Casey Family Programs trustee - and Marc Cherna, director of Allegheny County’s Department of Human Services, has helped the county achieve a 65% kin placement rate for children and youth in foster care. ![]() A 25-year partnership between founder, president, and CEO Sharon McDaniel, Ed.D. Kiara’s story - and those of thousands of other children - have happier endings because of ASCI, which was founded to provide safe, secure, and nurturing environments for children in kinship care. ![]() By 9:30 p.m., Kiara was with Debra’s family, where she has lived ever since. “Quick was an understatement,” Debra says of the timeline. With the family’s consent, the navigator leapt into action, running background checks and conducting an initial visit to ensure the Taylors’ home was safe. Debra and her family had never met Kiara, but they agreed to take her in almost immediately. ASCI supports the county by using early and intensive family finding efforts to identify no fewer than three family supports for each child and to give birth families a choice in their child’s placement whenever possible. (ASCI) and co-located at CYF, reached out to Pam’s sister, Debra Taylor. But one phone call to a family member changed everything.Ī kinship navigator, employed by A Second Chance, Inc. By 6:00 that evening Kiara’s story was headlining the news, and she might have been headed for a stranger’s foster home. Her mother, Pam, had been driving while under the influence with Kiara in the back seat her father was already in prison. Kiara’s story 1 begins with a crisis: A traumatic car accident led to the 11-month-old being taken into the custody of Allegheny County’s Office of Children, Youth and Families (CYF). transform kinship care in Allegheny County? Not only do donors benefit from a tax deduction, but they contribute to the growth of an organization that is changing lives through job training, salvaging our regional architectural history, saving consumers money, and protecting the planet through resource conservation and waste stream diversion.How did A Second Chance Inc. We enjoy building ongoing donor relationships with various businesses and organizations, and we’re proud to have so many repeat donors who value the efficiency and excellence we’ve gained through two decades of experience. Working vehicles, items with historical value, and certain “oddities” are welcome, too. If you have building materials, kitchen appliances, bathroom fixtures, tubs, sinks, accessories, household goods, mattresses, garden elements, collections, lighting or unique architectural items in good to excellent condition, please consider donating them to Second Chance. Second Chance can give new life to old doors and windows, hardware and tools, ironwork and mantles, and gently used furniture. We’re happy to help turn your old couch into a new career! We accept everything but the kitchen sink….
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