About National Foster Care Month

How does the Children's Bureau support National Foster Care Month? 
Together with its information service, Child Welfare Information Gateway, and a host of other Federal, State, and local partners, the Children's Bureau builds awareness for National Foster Care Month through a dedicated website that includes resources, and stories to help you spread awareness at the State and local levels.

What resources will be available on the National Foster Care Month website? 
The National Foster Care Month website will feature resources that highlight the importance of permanency and family connections in the lives of children and youth. These resources will support child welfare professionals, kin caregivers, foster families, and parents with information, tools, and materials that promote safety, well-being, and belonging.

What is the Reflections: Stories of Foster Care series? 
Each year, the National Foster Care Month website features stories from families, youth, and caseworkers in which they share their experiences with foster care. These inspiring narratives are a powerful way to shape public opinion and motivate and inspire individuals to act. They can also be used to help child welfare professionals and others understand the challenges associated with foster care and identify new ways to approach their work with children, youth, and families. View the stories. 
 

The Children’s Bureau (CB) is committed to improving child safety, permanency, and well‑being by strengthening prevention services, supporting families, and reducing the need for foster care. Learn more about CB’s initiatives and priorities (opens in a new tab), such as A Home for Every Child, the Child Welfare Technology Incubator, and more.

The Children's Bureau, an agency within the Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides discretionary funds for projects to support the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families while they are engaged with the foster care system. This page provides a brief overview of several grant recipients working to build the capacity of child welfare professionals and resource families to authentically partner with families to preserve relationships and provide supports and services so that families can overcome the challenges they face.

Quality Improvement Center on Engaging Youth in Finding Permanency (QIC-EY) (opens in a new tab)
Led by Spaulding for Children and including four national partners and several implementation sites, the QIC-EY works to make systemic changes in how child welfare systems authentically engage children and youth, as reflected in intentional shifts in policy, practice, and culture. The QIC-EY aims to transform how child welfare and professionals center their work around children and youth and help them authentically engage children and youth throughout their time in the child welfare system.

Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Analytics (QIC-WA) (opens in a new tab) 
The QIC-WA was established in 2023 to build capacity in public and tribal child welfare agencies and develop tools that improve the usefulness of workforce data.

National Child Welfare Center for Innovation and Advancement (NCWCIA) (opens in a new tab) 
The NCWCIA is funded by the Children’s Bureau to assist public child welfare agencies with improving performance and outcomes through evidence and sound implementation practices. NCWCIA supports agencies in meeting their distinct jurisdictional goals and Federal statutory requirements so that children can remain safe and with their families whenever possible.

The Improving Child Welfare Through Investing in Families Grant (opens in a new tab)
Through a partnership with the Children’s Bureau, several implementation sites are working to provide an array of kinship preparation services and supports and promote shared parenting relationships between all out-of-home caregivers and parents of children and youth in foster care. 

National Training and Development Curriculum for Foster and Adoptive Parents (NTDC) (opens in a new tab) 
NTDC is a comprehensive no-cost curriculum that provides potential foster, kinship, and adoptive parents with the information and tools needed to parent children who have experienced trauma, separation, or loss. This cutting-edge resource offers culturally relevant and flexible education to support them through classroom-based and on-demand training. 

• Kinship Care and the Child Welfare System – Explains how kinship care promotes stability, permanency, and family connections.
• Promoting Reunification as a Kin Caregiver – Provides practical guidance for kin caregivers supporting reunification and permanency.
• Promoting Permanency for Older Youth in Out of Home Care – Provides child welfare professionals with information about the importance of permanency—in its many forms—and strategies for achieving it.
• Reunification From Foster Care: A Guide for Parents – Helps parents understand and navigate the reunification process.
• Promoting Reunification as a Foster Parent – Supports foster parents in partnering with families of origin to achieve reunification.
• Engaging and Involving Youth and Young Adults – Presents a curated selection of resources on authentic youth engagement to improve permanency outcomes.
• Promoting Supportive, Lasting Adult Connections for Older Youth in Foster Care (opens in a new tab) - Provides an overview of the importance of relational permanency and existing efforts to support older youth transitioning to adulthood, with a deeper look at the Permanency Pact Program at Good Shepherd Services and its integration with the Solution-Based Casework model.

Reflections: Stories of Foster Care: The following narratives present real stories from individuals who have lived experience with foster care or kinship care:

• Maria Agnes has experienced child welfare as a parent, kin caregiver, and professional family advocate. She shares her 11 best practices for supporting families.
• Ashley's story shares how growing up in kinship care is about relying on love and resilience.
• As a foster caregiver, Katie learned the importance of forming relationships with the families of the children she fosters. She shares the importance of reframing common narratives about birth families.
• Charla, a kinship care advocate in the Tribal child welfare community, shares the importance of culturally grounded support systems for children.
• Maci shares advice for showing up for youth in care, highlighting how having someone in your corner can make all the difference when navigating the child welfare system.
• Jaymi became a sibling guardian after experiencing the child welfare system herself. She shares her thoughts on the importance of supporting kin caregivers.