Meet Gaile Osborne, Thompson Foster parent, face of the Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina, and newly awarded recipient of the Family Focused Treatment Association - FFTA 2025 Dr. Laura Boyd Champion for Children & Families Award. Gaile's journey with foster care began about 15 years ago to grow her family after experiencing fertility issues. She quickly realized that the journey is often fraught with complexities and emotional challenges. Early on, she faced numerous placements with a particular county that was difficult to work with, leading to repeated heartbreaks as children were removed from her care. Frustrated by the emotional toll, she decisively chose to only accept children who were free and clear for adoption and sent out a letter to every Department of Social Services (DSS) in the state, introducing her family and expressing her unwavering willingness to adopt. The adoption call finally came in the form of a sibling set of four children, and she confidently decided to take in two of them. This experience was eye-opening, as she recognized the significant mental health and trauma issues that needed to be addressed. Despite the challenges, Gaile proceeded with the adoption, dedicating several years to helping the children heal and manage their trauma. Later, her journey took a new turn when she accepted a little boy with a specialized eating plan for a rare metabolic disorder. This required her to learn and manage complex medical needs, including frequent hospitalizations. In addition, the boy's parents were gang-affiliated, leading to safety concerns and requiring Gaile to take extra precautions. Despite these challenges, she successfully advocated for the boy's needs and ensured his well-being. Over the years, she has taken in additional medically fragile children, adopting them, and providing a stable and supportive home. She is well known for her ability to advocate for her children's needs in various settings, including hospitals and courts. She recognized that knowledge is power and that sharing her experiences with other foster families facing similar challenges is invaluable, and she is actively involved in the foster care community. Gaile serves as the president of the Foster Family Alliance and is working on initiatives to improve support for medically fragile children. She is developing a medically fragile license and stipend protocol with the state of NC to address inconsistencies in support across different counties. Gaile's dedication and advocacy have made significant impacts on the lives of the children in her care and the broader foster care community. Her journey highlights the importance of perseverance, support, and community involvement in fostering and adoption. Not everyone can make this level of impact, but everyone can make a difference! Foster parenting is a thankless job, and foster parents are simply volunteers who need their community to wrap them with support…donated gift cards to deal with the unexpected, in-kind donations such as car washes, tickets to family friendly outings, meals, and tokens of encouragement. Let’s help them feel seen, acknowledged, and appreciated! To view the award ceremony, go to https://youtu.be/0nHX9vHxp2k (fb)

Last week we had the pleasure of Marsh McLennan Agency - Southeast on campus participating in a Tigertown Takeover, they also generously donated Bluetooth speaks, mp3 players and hygiene products. Thank you for your continued support in changing the lives of these youth! You too can make a difference, get involved in corporate social responsibility, partner with Thompson to create meaningful volunteer opportunities for your team. Sign up at ThompsonCFF.org/volunteer. #EmployeeEngagement #CSR #CommunityRelations (fb)