Wednesday, May 4, 2011

May is National Foster Care Month

Nearly 424,000 American children and youth are currently in foster care. National Foster Care Month is a time to acknowledge these youth and the family members, foster parents, volunteers, mentors, child welfare professionals, and policymakers who help them find permanent homes and connections.
The Children's Bureau and Child Welfare Information Gateway are supporting National Foster Care Month through a website for child welfare professionals with the theme "Building Connections Through Meaningful Family Engagement." The website features information and resources that help caseworkers, administrators, managers, and policymakers improve permanency services and outcomes for children, youth, and families involved with the child welfare system. The website includes:
  • Resources about building connections with families, youth, siblings, schools, and community partners to help youth achieve permanency
  • Personal stories and photos from Kids Central, Inc., one of the Children's Bureau Family Connection grantees
  • Links to digital stories from the National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections, which include youth and child welfare workers sharing their experiences
  • National Foster Care Month widgets to add to your organization's website
www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth
Read the Presidential proclamation for National Foster Care Month at www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/04/29/presidential-proclamation-national-foster-care-month
Your feedback is important to us so please take the survey on the Foster Care Month website and give us your input. For more information, contact Child Welfare Information Gateway at 1.800.394.3366 or info@childwelfare.gov.

For More Information on Foster Care and Fostering Child in Care of Macon County, contact Social Worker Stacey Messer, At Macon County DSS at 828-349-2546.

G.Taylor