By Gary Ruegsegger
Correspondent
On a sunny Saturday morning, John Murray and his son Ross, 14, waited for families and friends at Norfolk’s
Town Point Park. They were going on a harbor cruise.
But it’s not always smooth sailing for Murray, chief executive officer of Families First of Virginia, who is in the
business of mending children and building families.
Families First is a private company that provides ongoing therapeutic care for neglected or abused children.
Placing these children in stable homes with highly-trained foster parents is the lynchpin of its efforts.
The organization has placed troubled children referred by departments of social services from cities throughout
Hampton Roads and as far away as Charlottesville. The long-term goals of foster care are to either return the
children to their parents or adoption. “The best foster parents are naturally empathetic,” Murray said. “You fill up
a room with them and you’ll see a powerful room.”
Earlier this month, he filled the second deck of the Spirit of Norfolk with 125 foster parents and children for a
celebration cruise.
“It’s a miracle that these families are willing to open their homes and their hearts to children they don’t even
know,” said Murray. “We need to celebrate the work they do.”
And celebrate they did. For two hours, foster parents and their children dined, danced, hugged and smiled on
the Elizabeth River.
Children require foster care for various reasons, including abuse, neglect and abandonment. According to
Murray, 3.1 million confirmed cases of child abuse occur in the country each year.
Effective foster parents come in all sizes, shapes and colors. Selflessness and a love of children are the central
threads they share.
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