Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) supports children and youth who have experienced adverse circumstances by placing them into safe, nurturing environments through a trauma-informed approach.
Services include recruiting and training foster families, supporting maternal health, strengthening families and the protective capacity of caregivers with the goal of family reunification, and facilitating Break the Seal services to access sealed adoption records – helping individuals learn about their biological families or adoption circumstances.
Break the Seal
In partnership with the District of Columbia Family Court, the Break the Seal program provides comprehensive post-adoption search services for individuals who made and finalized their adoption plan with LSSNCA.
Foster Care for Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM)
Funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), LSSNCA ensures eligible unaccompanied refugee children receive the full range of assistance, care, and services available to all foster children in Virginia and Washington, D.C. Children can also be placed in homes in Maryland through the D.C. program.
Traditional Foster Care
LSSNCA provides traditional foster care services to children and youth in the District of Columbia who have been separated from their caregivers due to safety concerns. LSSNCA places those children and youth in licensed foster homes in Maryland and provides comprehensive case management services for the children, youth, and their families with the goal of reunification.
If reunification cannot be safely achieved, other permanency options such as guardianship or adoption are explored.
Maternal Health
LSSNCA offers an evidence-based home visiting program for pregnant women and parents of young children in Washington, D.C. This program partners trained parent educators with expectant mothers and young families to improve health outcomes, strengthen family well-being, and ensure children are safe, healthy, and ready for school.
