Social Media and Out-of-Home Care

Social media networks can be an important avenue for sharing messages and educating the public about the issues affecting children, youth, and families involved in child welfare. Find resources and information that promote family finding, explore effective recruitment and retention strategies, and provide additional information to help support parents and caregivers involved in out-of-home care.

• Resources for child welfare professionals
• Resources for parents and caregivers

Resources for child welfare professionals

Facebook 101 for Child Welfare Professionals: An Introduction to Using Facebook to Reach Foster, Adoptive, and Kinship Families (PDF - 272 KB)
AdoptUSKids (2014)
Discusses ways in which a child welfare agency can use Facebook in order to connect with prospective resource families, including sharing useful information, answering common questions, and spreading awareness about upcoming events.

Facebook Useful in Finding Kin for Wards of the State
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (2013)
Highlights the success the agency has had in Lincoln, NE, using Facebook to locate family members of children in care. The press release also shares case examples.

Social Media Use in Child Welfare
Chang (2013)
Children’s Bureau Express, 13(11)
Guides child welfare professionals in developing a social media strategy for dissemination and a security policy.

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Resources for parents and caregivers

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