Bridging Gaps and Building Connections
At Extra Special Parents (ESP), we believe every child deserves a safe home and a nurturing adult they can trust. Since our inception in 2006, our mission has been to support Virginia's foster children and families. Our network has grown to over 150 licensed active foster and adoptive families. Together, the foster parents in our community have significantly impacted the lives of countless foster children across the Commonwealth.
Our Team
Our team, comprising over 40 dedicated specialists, supports more than 150 active foster families within the growing ESP community. Available 24/7/365, our experienced team is committed to ensuring every child in need find a safe, loving home and that our families receive the support, resources, and respite necessary to care for the most vulnerable in our community.
Our Foster Family Network
ESP-certified foster and adoptive families achieve approval following thorough, comprehensive Home Studies and training. Our parents are equipped through pre-service training on critical topics such as trauma-informed care, behavior management, strength-based parenting, and navigation of Virginia’s foster care system.
We also provide our Treatment Foster Care Parents with monthly training and support groups, fostering an environment of continuous learning and development in parenting skills. This ongoing education, coupled with peer and specialist support, ensures our families are well-prepared to meet the evolving needs of foster children.
Our Purpose
The heart of ESP’s work lies in the community’s support – people like you who step up to foster or adopt. Despite the daunting challenge posed by the increasing number of foster children relative to available homes, our community’s resolve only strengthens our motivation. At ESP, our commitment is to secure permanent, loving families for foster children. Our purpose is to improve their outcomes and help foster kids reach their true potential.
A Brief History: The Extra Special Parents Story
Our journey began in 1986, fueled by Richard Kingswell's deep passion for youth work. His transformative path led him to the U.S. in 1995, to the core of foster care, a Baltimore runaway shelter. During nearly 40 years of youth work, Richard's unwavering dedication has spanned various sectors of children's services, including recreation, diagnostics, group homes, corrections, a trade school for foster teens, and the pivotal realm of foster care. His tireless service for children culminated in the 2006 founding of Extra Special Parents (ESP), a beacon of hope to countless children in need.
Richard and Andrea Kingswell leveraged their combined strengths in a vision to profoundly impact Virginia's foster youth. Recognizing the need for more qualified foster and adoptive families, they shifted their approach from networking to directly aiding prospective foster and adoptive parents to connect with ESP. Uniting deep expertise in foster care with strategic planning acumen drove an industry paradigm shift...the idea of FosterVA.org was born.
In 2019, they launched FosterVA.org, a vital online platform that provides guidance and support to aspiring foster and adoptive parents nationwide, focusing on finding loving homes for foster children in Virginia.
Join Us!
We invite you to join our mission for a brighter future, envisioning a world where every child is cherished within a nurturing family. Together, we aim to forge a future filled with hope, compassion, and endless possibilities for our most precious treasures – our children.