Children's Foundation of Mississippi’s Post

May is #nationalfostercaremonth and the Child Welfare Information Gateway has put the spotlights on supporting & uplifting adolescents in the foster care system. Did you know a reported 77% left foster care without receiving the federally funded services needed to support them? This year’s theme, “Engaging Youth. Building Supports. Strengthening Opportunities.” will raise awareness about authentic youth engagement, the importance of life-long connections, and how to best support youth as they transition out of foster care. https://lnkd.in/dHYXvThc.

I couldn't be more proud of UHC investing in kids in the foster system. What a great way to help set them up for future success and equip them with the necessary tools to embark on their journey into adulthood. Life is hard without any set backs/challenges as a child and has the potential to become even harder without the tools/resources to prepare them to enter into the community as an adult. What UHC is doing is a great example of how organizations, community leaders, and health plans can become part of the solution and make an investment into this special segment of America's youth. Many kids within the foster/adopt system hasn't had the easiest start to life and this could be a game changer and just one pathway to set them up for future success. #OneCommunity #TeachourKids #FosterAdopt #BeKind #LifeChanging #InvestinourYouth

May is Foster Care Awareness Month and The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare - a peak body for child and family services in Victoria and Tasmania, Australia, representing more than 180 community service organizations, students and individuals across the two states - published a Rapid Review of Foster Care Recruitment and Retention last month, April 2024. The report includes strategies for recruiting and retention, and provides proven examples of proven practice INCLUDING the Teaching Family Model, and how the TFM is also used in residential care. TFA Agencies and programs - the care and people - make a positive and impactful difference. Leading the way with quality and integrity, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. #TFA #TeachingFamilyModel #TFM

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) recognizes the importance of providing students in foster care with consistent educational experiences. 📚 Our blog, ESSA and Foster Care Transportation: Ensuring Educational Stability, explores what this law says about transportation for students in foster care and why it matters. 🚗 Here are some key takeaways: - Students are entitled to appropriate transportation accommodations if they meet requirements - Emphasizes the importance of keeping children and youth in foster care in their "school of origin" whenever possible - Encourages stakeholder collaboration between schools, child welfare agencies, transportation providers, and other relevant parties Read now: https://hubs.la/Q02t_-w00 #ESSA #AlternativeStudentTransportation

In recent years, some children in foster care have ended up sleeping in child welfare offices overnight because there were no foster homes or care centers available. Why is this happening and how can we provide every child with the permanent home and loving family they deserve? Watch this short video for Alex’s story, a fictional story based on the lives of real-life children and families we serve. https://hubs.ly/Q02PxtCN0

The foster care system focuses primarily on physical safety, but that is simply not enough. Children need to feel claimed. They are wired for connection. They need to know that they truly belong. We must reimagine a system where every child feels safe, connected, and loved. Alia’s vision is to enable UnSystems that prioritize these fundamental needs. Let’s join forces to transform child welfare in a way in which it truly cares for our children’s holistic well-being. #FosterCare #SystemReform #ChildWellBeing

There are many aspects of foster care that need to be considered. Where could better family support prevent foster care? Where can improvements during a child's time in foster care accelerate successful reintegration with family? How can better support offer successful reintegration with family so they do not re-enter the system? Where can better support of caregivers help stability of placement when it is determined reintegration with family is not in the best interest of a child?

💚 Foster Care Awareness Month 💚 reminds us of the profound need for empathy and attachment in child welfare. While the fear of heartbreak 💔 from a child leaving can deter potential foster parents, we must be driven by the greater fear - that these kids 🧒🧑 may never experience a true, caring bond. Rather than avoiding attachment, these children desperately need someone willing to open their heart fully 💖, despite past behaviors or experiences. The very quality that may give us pause - the ability to form deep attachments - is precisely what equips us to provide the unconditional love every child deserves. With empathy 🫶 guiding us, we can reframe our fears as motivation to nurture vulnerable youth. 🌻 #FosterCareAwareness #ChildWelfare #Attachment #Empathy #FosterLove #lotcarolinas #FosterCarolinas

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

May is National Foster Care Month, a time to raise awareness about foster care and recognize the people who help children in foster care find permanent homes and connections. Did you know that youth who exit foster care without permanent connections face an increased risk of adverse outcomes in adulthood? In 2021 there were more than 390,000 children and youth in foster care. Of these, about 20,000 leave foster care without a permanent family, and 77% of eligible youth left care without receiving the federally funded services necessary to prepare them for adulthood and independent living. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/ekdhN9Y. WRMA has a long history of working to support child welfare programs at the federal and state levels. In fact, our company was founded to serve child welfare agencies by providing child welfare case management and data systems. We remain dedicated to improving outcomes for children and youth in foster care through our work with child welfare programs. Learn more about our work in child welfare: https://lnkd.in/eeAZdwpY. #FosterCareMonth #ChildWelfare #HealthAndHumanServices #FosterCare