National Foster Care Month Resources
Kinship care, in its various forms, has become increasingly important in meeting the needs of children involved in the child welfare system. When children cannot remain safely with their parents, placement with relatives or kin is the preferred option as it can help to maintain family connections and cultural traditions that can minimize the trauma of family separation. Below are resources that demonstrate how prioritizing the placement of children and youth in foster care with biological family, or kin can help transform the child welfare system into one that truly supports families and maintains connections. This includes an emphasis on family finding and other child-specific recruitment strategies, best practices for family engagement, and licensing relative caregivers who understand their unique ability to partner with parents to support reunification. These resources also highlight the positive impact that culturally appropriate trainings and services and equitable supports to kin caregivers can have on placement stability and permanency outcomes for children and families.
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Spotlight On
Visit the links below to find additional information and resources about foster care for different groups.
Are you a kinship caregiver looking for support? Check out the list of State Kinship Care Contacts and Programs to see who to contact in your State.
Examples of Best Practices
Now more than ever, child welfare professionals can engage and support kinship caregivers—whether inside or outside of the formal foster care system. See how some State and local agencies are finding families and prioritizing their needs to help move the foster care system towards one that truly focuses on families.
Pennsylvania Partnership for Children (2021)
Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition
Foster Adopt Connect
Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse
Mathematica
Maryland Department of Human Services