Foster America

There's still time to register for our quarterly Alumni Spotlight series! Alumna Connie K Chung, EdD talks with New York Times bestselling author Andrew Bridge about his new book, The Child Catcher, Co-facilitated by Alexander Ballantyne from Possible Selves. https://lnkd.in/e_44DUyJ

RELEASE: Statement by Secretary Xavier Becerra - Kinship Care Month Continue reading: https://acf.mobi/4cTQqr1

The Foster America board of directors is critical to keeping us focused on our mission – building a child welfare system where every family thrives. Meet our newest board members Takkeem Leon Morgan MBA and Susan Leath! Hear what being part of our board means to them in their own words.

Join Foster America for our quarterly Alumni Spotlight series! Alumna Connie K. Chung talks with New York Times bestselling author Andrew Bridge about his new book, The Child Catcher, the true story of the fight to rescue children confined to an institution in the rural South. Co-facilitated by Alex Ballantyne from Possible Selves, a PBS documentary. Follow the link for a 20% discount on the book! https://lnkd.in/e_44DUyJ

We're thrilled to announce the promotion of two incredible members of our team! Congratulations to Deszeree Thomas, J.D., M.B.A., M.S.ED and Courtney Franklin on their well-deserved new roles.

A week after the White House Convening on Child Welfare Transformation, a few words continue to echo in my mind. Here are my top 10 moments of profound truth and calls to action: Sharing the Administration’s commitment to racial equity, Rebecca Jones Gaston, ACF noted that “culture is prevention” and highlighted new rules creating flexibility for Tribal child welfare agencies to use Tribally accepted prevention services with their families. Valerie Frost shared her experience being viewed as a prospective child abuser. She questioned why supports offered to foster parents (from diapers to new bikes at the holidays) are not readily available to moms? “The next time you find yourself judging a parent,” she said, “instead, think about how you could help.” Pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna of Flint, Michigan: “We are not okay with poison water, and we are not okay with our babies growing up in poverty.” Her “prescription” – $1,500 during pregnancy and $500 a month for baby’s first year – is plummeting entries into foster care for infants. Alex Briscoe began with a grim picture: we have created a toxic culture for children; of course its hard to thrive. My favorite quote of the day, “There is hope. It is Medicaid.” His quest to see more providers claim under Medicaid for their critical contribution to wellness is an inspiration. Jeremy Kohomban, The Children’s Village, acknowledged his agency’s problematic history of orphan trains and Indigenous family separations. He now sees a vastly different future, grounded in listening to families, who are "asking us not to complicate their lives. They are asking us for housing, child care, and better schools.” Adrien Lewis of CarePortal detailed their digital platform, built to facilitate community connection and mutual aid. “I’m 100% convinced that seeing and serving our neighbors should be a primary part of ‘the system.’ What is needed is connection.” Tamara Hunter, LA County, named the child abuse hotline as the point where all societal “-isms” intersect with child welfare. Mandated reporting is “an active point of criminalization of poverty.” Clare Anderson, Chapin Hall emphasized 40 years’ worth of clear evidence. Economic hardship overwhelmingly precedes calls to child protection hotlines – and there are far better responses to financial shocks and the family crises that often follow. In Allegheny County, Erin Dalton has tipped the fiscal scales away from foster care, now officially investing more in prevention. She called on governmental leaders to center community voice. "If you aren’t willing to openly bring your innovation to community meetings and public forums, then you likely don’t yet have a quality solution." David Sanders, Casey Family Programs and Foster America board member, noticed three "collaboration" focused panelists characterized their insights as “nothing revolutionary.” He countered that sustained trust-building and relationships are the catalysts needed to change our field.

We’re looking for individuals with lived experience in foster care who are now working to transform the system. Your journey can help shape the future of child welfare! Apply here- https://lnkd.in/ggzYP4EV

SXSW's annual conference brings together diverse collaborators who share an appetite for innovation. This year, Foster America is up for a chance to present, and we need your support! Follow the link to cast your vote for our presentation, "Schools, Foster Care, & Families: Innovating for Equity" to be included in the line-up: https://lnkd.in/gugGNKN8

Welcoming our new Prevention Site Director, Jennifer L. Outlaw, LCSW, CCM, CPC, CPDC, who is supporting us in our work with Youth Villages!

Transform child welfare.  Not improve, not enhance, not expand. A bold mission and mandate. After attending the White House National Convening on Child Welfare Transformation on Wednesday, I’m reflecting on the generational moment in this sector. As Bryan Samuels and Sam Gill reminded us in their remarks, for the White House to direct national attention to child welfare is noteworthy. The first such gathering, called by President Herbert Hoover in 1909, raised public awareness on the profoundly negative effects of institutionalizing “dependent” and neglected children. In some ways, we continue that conversation – now, about the profoundly negative rippling effects of our predominant societal response to children in need: child protection investigations and separating kids into foster care. I was both honored and awed to sit in witness at this White House convening. The conversation set a vibrant national vision that I could scarcely have imagined when launching Foster America eight years ago. Disentangle poverty from neglect, including in state statutes. Acknowledge the harms of family separation. Blend Medicaid with state child welfare spending. Make kin, culture, and connection the center of our responses. Sometimes, being up close to something, it's easy to miss how things are changing. This White House Convening was one of the milestone moments to both mark what’s shifted and to accelerate those innovations. As the event powerfully concluded, Sixto Cancel – founder of Think of Us – shared how his lived experiences motivate his work and that of other activists. His final call resounds in my heart today, to build a world where all who bring their lived expertise can  “feel actually loved.”  We heed the call for innovation and for change at scale. Foster America is ready. Let’s get to work. (Shout out to Elizabeth Wyner and JooYeun Chang for making this powerful day a reality.) I'll be back in another post next week sharing some more photos and the top moments of wisdom from this day, including new rules released by the Children's Bureau that open substantial new fiscal opportunities for prevention...