Amara’s Post

To empower youth in foster care, one must understand and appreciate how Black history intersects with the child welfare system in America today. Here are five resources for allyship with Black youth in foster care this #BlackHistoryMonth. https://rebrand.ly/y892tvs

It's #National Foster Care Month. Too many American families find themselves struggling because of gaps in health, economic, and #HumanServices systems. And too often families are sent to the child welfare system for well-being needs and support that #ChildWelfare was not designed to provide. We need a multi-system approach designed to meet family needs from the start and prevent children from entering the foster care system when not necessary. Explore a new strategic framework for this child and family well-being system: https://lnkd.in/gxqsb7kq

The Indian Child Welfare Act PRIORITIZES placement with homes approved by the child’s Native Nation, and the homes of Native families. Unfortunately, there is a SHORTAGE of Native foster homes. NATIVES, contact your local child welfare agency and your Native Nation for more information on how to become a foster home. Non-Natives, support Native foster kids/families by: volunteering to be a Court Appointed Special Advocate https://bit.ly/4dBOWDk or contacting local and Native Nation child welfare agencies to donate your time and resources. You can also apply to be a resource family (foster family) to provide respite care. Non-Native families who are committed to keeping the kids connected with their Nation and to facilitate family connections are needed too! #NativeFosterCare #ChildrenBack

Who should receive social security benefits for youth in foster care? 💡 Casey Family Programs, the Children's Bureau, and Lived Experience (LEx) Leaders shined a light on a social security benefits issue in a webinar hosted by American Public Human Services Association - APHSA. 💡 LEx Leader Myla Garcia’s (age 28, PA) closing observation resonated throughout the audience: “People in child welfare forget children grow up.” 💡 Read about the webinar: https://lnkd.in/gKpnQJ48

You may have seen the terms "formal" and "informal" used in our social media posts before. Let's talk about what we mean when we use those terms! Formal refers to circumstances when children are in the care of a relative or non-related extended family member and are in the custody of a public child welfare agency. These families will have a foster care worker. Informal refers to circumstances when children live with grandparents or other relatives and are not in the custody of a public child welfare agency. These families will not have a foster care worker but may have had contact with Child Protective Services. Informal families might have no legal relationship to the children in their care, or they might have Power of Attorney (POA), guardianship, or another legal relationship. For more information, contact the Kinship Care Resource Center at kinship@msu.edu or 800-535-1218. #KinshipCare #Caregiver #KCRC #KinshipCareResourceCenter #MSU #MichiganState #MichiganStateUniversity #Michigan #Training #Support #SupportGroup #Grandparents #Grandchildren

Do you want to make a difference in child welfare? Florida youth, ages 14-25, and parents or guardians (foster parents, relative and non-relative caregivers) who have experience in the child welfare system are eligible to apply to advocate to professionals involved in decision making in Florida. bit.ly/FICW-ADVOCACY The Institute seeks to raise the power, position, and platform of young people, and we are glad to support individuals eligible for this opportunity. A financial support of $1000 will be provided to support selected awardees for the cost of travel and time to Children's Week or a similar event in Tallahassee. Parents or guardians (foster parents, relative and non-relative caregivers) who have exited the child welfare system within the past 24 months are also eligible to apply. 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟵,𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. Please use the link above for more application instructions. #WeAreChildWelfare #ChildWelfare #advocacy #youthadvocacy #YouthInCare #Fosteryouths #Youthvoices #Funding #Parents #SocialWork #Florida

The #ChildFirstModel is about putting the foster youth's needs first! IFoster's Voice of the Foster Care Community Report talks about how the child welfare system should provide support, from prevention to youth exiting care. Watch the full video & learn more here: https://bit.ly/4dwWs1w #iAmiFoster #VOC3 #YouthFirst

What will the Permanency Project do for foster children? Find children at the greatest risk of aging out of foster care a permanent home by requiring the state to convene a specialized team to: ✅ Identify youth likely to age out of the child welfare system ✅ Thoroughly review the child’s case file from a fresh perspective ✅ Remove barriers to permanency and determine the assistance needed ✅ Create a written, individualized permanency plan ✅ Explore options to place a child with individuals or families ✅ Provide a report on project outcomes #azleg Read Bill: https://bit.ly/3x5yzON #fosteryouth #childrensrights

In light of the growing body of evidence that economic and concrete supports can keep children safely at home and prevent entry to foster care, more and more jurisidictions are building flexible funding into their child welfare prevention programs. While models vary, these interventions recognize that family needs differ, that they often require an urgent response, and that child welfare programs have a responsibility to ensure that poverty does not become the basis for more intrusive intervention in families’ lives. This Casey Family Programs strategy brief explains how three states (Indiana, Kentucky and Wisconsin) are responding to this challenge. https://lnkd.in/dga3vQTd

Keeping Children Safely With, Not From, Their Families—Foster Care, Transformed - Read the new article from Forbes! According to Children's Rights, more than 672,000 children spent time in foster care in 2019, and on any given day, more than 400,000 children in the U.S. are living in foster care. Due to workforce and placement shortages, the child welfare system is struggling to meet the needs of children and families. Child welfare veteran and social entrepreneur Dr. Amelia Franck Meyer believes that providing children with an “uninterrupted sense of belonging” is key to children's thriving. Read more about Alia's work in this interview with Manmeet Mehta and Alia CEO, Amelia Franck Meyer, in Forbes. https://lnkd.in/eiqzVXsw #Alia #innovation #earlyadopters #systemleaders #partnership #fostercare #prevention #kinship #fostercare #kinshipnavigation #businessesthatbuildfamilies