United Methodist Family Services of Virginia (UMFS) Shineforth

Here's what you should know about the UMFS, its relation to the United Methodist Church, and more. 

The United Methodist Family Services (Shineforth)

United Methodist Church no longer owns the organization. However, the organization maintains a partnership with the church. UMFS changed it name in 2026 to Shineforth this new branding has taken over a year to roll out.  The new website is shineforth.org

UMFS Shineforth President and CEO Nancy Toscano, PhD, LCSW.

Nancy Toscano has been with the UMFS and Shineforth since April 2021.

UMFS is a nonprofit organization with locations in Virginia.  The organization aims to support foster kids, teens, and parents through various programs. Additionally, they work to identify the needs of social services and address them.  UMFS is not affiliated with FosterVA.

The United Methodist Family Services / Shineforth focuses on helping high-risk children.  The organization aims to help these children and their families reach their full potential.  They employ a trauma-informed approach and recommend methods and services that can provide support. 

Charity Status 

UMFS / Shineforth has been around for over a century, helping kids reach their full potential. 

The organization started as an orphanage and farm in 1910.  It now includes fostering, adoption, and residential treatment programs in the Tidewater and Northern Virginia areas. 

It's a 501(c)(3) organization, and donations to the UMFS are tax-deductible. 

Charity Navigator gives UMFS a Finance & Accountability Score of 96 out of 100 in 2026. The three most extensive programs in 2020 were: 

• Child & Family Healing Center - 43% of program expenses
• Treatment Foster Care - 41% of program expenses
• Adoption services - 3% of program expenses 

Charity Navigator also gives UMFS 4 stars for the program so you can give confidently in 2026. 

Their Values and Goals

UMFS works on building strengths rather than focusing on deficits. The organization believes each person has unique talents and gifts to offer. 

They believe collaboration, shared learning, and diverse thinking create the most significant impact. UMFS focuses on relationship building and innovative thinking to help children. 

Their approach to treatment is evidence-based and trauma-informed. They use Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) to help youth overcome challenges. 

There are no religious requirements to participate or volunteer with UMFS. 

UMFS / Shineforth Services

The United Methodist Family Services of Virginia offers various programs and services. Some programs they have are: 

• Residential treatment center
• ATCP 
• Post-adoption services
• Case coordination and other prevention services
• Various skill-building services
• Specialized education
• Foster care
• And more

You can find a complete list of services on their website. However, let's thoroughly cover a few of their services and programs. 

Leland House

The Leland House on the Richmond Campus is a type of residential treatment. It's for kids who face severe emotional or behavioral challenges that interfere with their daily lives. 

It's a 45-day program that provides therapy, medication management, and social skill development. 

Child and Family Healing Center

The UMFS Child & Family Healing Center offers 24-hour intensive residential treatment. The campus is staff-secure and spans 33 acres. They are unwavering champions for high-risk youth in the commonwealth.

The facility aims to help kids and teens overcome complex trauma that can lead to behavioral or emotional issues. 

Specialized Education

UMFS offers the Charterhouse School, which provides educational services for youth in grades K-12. The goal is to help children return to home school or meet post-secondary objectives. 

Programs include: 

• General Curriculum Day School (elementary, middle, and high school) 
• Autism and Neurodiversity
• Applied Curriculum

Programs serve children from ages 5-22. Students also receive individualized academic plans to help them reach their goals. 

Adoption Services

The Virginia UMFS strives to help children and parents struggling with the unique challenges of fostering and adoption through the foster care system. They strive to be a resource and a partner, providing programs and education to make the process easier. 

Wendy's Wonderful Kids® (WWK) and Adoption Through Collaborative Partnerships (ATCP) are two programs. 

Treatment Foster Care (TFC)

The United Methodist Family Services offers Treatment Foster Care (TFC). TFC aims to provide a safe and nurturing environment for young kids and teenagers facing behavioral, emotional, or social challenges or those with specific medical needs. These children and teens in foster care need a loving and supportive family.

Treatment Foster Care provides more support and resources to help children between ages 2-21 heal. Often, these children have been in multiple placements or have faced traumatic experiences. Foster parents also receive special training. 

Treatment foster care teaches children skills such as independent living and social abilities. 

How UMFS / Shineforth Helps the Community

United Methodist Family Services has many strong values and strives to help foster children, their parents, and the community. Church members spread the word and volunteered to help foster children in their area. Regarding supporting the Commonwealth of Virginia, UMFS has truly gone the extra mile. 

As mentioned earlier, UMFS helped bring awareness and education to families interested in fostering. Also, the various treatment facilities and residential centers strive to help kids dealing with trauma and facing unique challenges. 

The organization supports local artists and strives to bring the community together. 

The United Methodist Family Services of Virginia is dedicated to helping children and families. The UMFS is a champion for youth. It provides educational services to raise awareness and create stable, loving environments. Any errors of admissions please let us know and we will update services as they change all the time.  Thank you.