National Foster Care Month Resources

Managing mental health and wellness can be a lifelong journey. Data coming out of the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory, Protecting Youth Mental Health, show that in recent years, there have been significant increases in mental health disorders in older youth, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, while the American Academy of Pediatrics states that mental and behavioral health is the largest unmet need for children and teens in foster care. When children and youth who have experienced child abuse and neglect enter the foster care system, we must provide early and appropriate intervention to support their emotional well-being, setting them up for future success.

Use this year’s resources to help talk with children, youth, and their caregivers about their mental health needs while they are engaged with the foster care system. Normalize it, lift conversations about mental health into everyday case planning, and see how a holistic approach to mental health care can support permanency and help youth leave care with strengthened minds, holistic supports, and stable families.