Cristin Severance

2 weeks ago | wral.com | Cristin Severance

Ryan O’Donnell and his wife became foster parents in 2019 after hearing about the crisis during a presentation at their church. O’Donnell said the child placed with them had a father who wanted to adopt him, but what should have been a short stay in foster care stretched on for years. “You know, what we saw in our foster son's case was that at so many steps, when you could have done what was best for him and his family, the system went in the opposite direction,” O’Donnell said.

3 weeks ago | wral.com | Cristin Severance

After years of stalled efforts, North Carolina lawmakers are finally advancing major foster care reform. The bipartisan bill, called the Fostering Care in NC Act, passed unanimously in the House and is now headed to the Senate. Lawmakers say the bill would give the state more power to hold county-run social services departments accountable. “Hopefully, this finally changes the direction of our foster care system for the first time in 10 years,” said Rep.

4 weeks ago | wral.com | Cristin Severance

A major foster care reform bill is one step closer to becoming law in North Carolina. The legislation comes after WRAL’s documentary Broken: Foster Care in North Carolina exposed critical gaps in the system. Felicia Chandler knows firsthand what happens when kids in the system fall through the cracks. “I hope one day my boys figure out who I am, and I hope they would like to meet me,” Chandler said.

1 month ago | wral.com | Ryan Schmidt |Ned Byrd |Cristin Severance

Across the county and in North Carolina, immigration is shaping up to be one of the most talked about issues of 2025. On Inauguration Day, President Donald Trump reiterated what he said on the campaign trail regarding his views on immigration. “First, I will declare a national emergency at our southern border,” Trump said. Democrats quickly responded, highlighting the need for broader reforms.

2 months ago | wral.com | Cristin Severance

North Carolina lawmakers have introduced a bill that seeks to make reforms to the state’s foster care system — the latest effort to improve a system that sponsors say is broken. House Bill 612, which sponsors call the “Fostering Care in NC Act,” proposes wide-ranging reforms to improve the safety and well-being of children in foster care.