About the FosteringConnections.org Project

Collaborators

Alliance for Children and Families

The Alliance for Children and Families, a nonprofit association, was formed by the 1998 merger of Family Service America and the National Association of Homes and Services for Children. The Alliance represents over 370 nonprofit organizations across the nation that provide services and economic empowerment to children and families. Alliance agencies cover a wide spectrum of providers, including a diversity of faith-based organizations and nonsectarian agencies. Together, these organizations deliver more than $2 billion annually in services to more than 8 million people in nearly 6,700 communities across the United States. More information about the Alliance is available at www.alliance1.org

American Academy of Pediatrics

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 pediatricians committed to the attainment of optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. For more information about the American Academy of Pediatrics, please visit www.aap.org.

The American Bar Association’s Center on Children and the Law

The American Bar Association’s Center on Children and the Law, a program of the Young Lawyers Division, aims to improve children's lives through advances in law, justice, knowledge, practice and public policy. Our areas of expertise include child abuse and neglect, child welfare and protective services system enhancement, foster care, family preservation, termination of parental rights, parental substance abuse, adolescent health, and domestic violence. For more information on The American Bar Association's Center on Children and the Law please visit, www.abanet.org/child.

American Public Human Services Association

The American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) is a nonprofit, bipartisan organization of individuals and agencies concerned with human services. Its members include all state and territorial human services agencies, more than 150 local agencies, and several thousand individuals who work in or otherwise have an interest in human service programs. APHSA's mission is to develop, promote and implement public human service policies and practices that improve the health and well-being of families, children and adults. For more information on the American Public Human Services Association, please visit www.aphsa.org.

The Black Administrators in Child Welfare

The Black Administrators in Child Welfare is an advocacy, membership, research, training and technical assistance organization. Registered as a 501C3, BACW was founded in 1971 and incorporated in 1975 in New York to respond to the need for culturally appropriate services to the overrepresented African American children and families, and to provide a support network for individuals serving as executives managing child welfare and other human service agencies. Governed by a 24 member Board of Directors with its day-to-day operations managed by an Executive Director, BACW is the only child welfare organization that has been involved nationally in work that addresses child welfare policy, practice, and research on behalf of African American children specifically but all children in foster care. BACW is committed to strengthening and supporting programs designed to promote the healthy development of children, youth and families. We support communities that are serving all children with special attention given to those with a demonstrated interest in helping children of color. For more information about The Black Administrators in Child Welfare please visit www.blackadministrators.org.

Center for Law and Social Policy

CLASP develops and advocates for policies at the federal, state and local levels that improve the lives of low-income people. We focus on policies that strengthen families and create pathways to education and work. Through careful research and analysis and effective advocacy, we develop and promote new ideas, mobilize others, and directly assist governments and advocates to put in place successful strategies that deliver results that matter to people across America. For more information on CLASP, please visit www.clasp.org.

Child Welfare League of America

CWLA is a powerful coalition of hundreds of private and public agencies serving vulnerable children and families since 1920. Our expertise, leadership and innovation on policies, programs, and practices help improve the lives of families and children in all 50 states. Our impact is felt worldwide. For more information on CWLA, please visit www.cwla.org.

Center for the Study of Social Policy

The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, policy, research and technical assistance organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to develop public policies and practices that strengthen families and communities to produce equal opportunities and a better future for all children and families. CSSP has 30 years of experience working with state, local and federal leaders to improve opportunities and outcomes for children and families. CSSP’s policy initiatives are driven by data, research and extensive on-the-ground work with states, cities and neighborhoods. CSSP also manages PolicyforResults.org, a web-based resource designed to help policymakers make sound decisions that contribute to better outcomes for all children and families. For more information on CSSP, please visit www.cssp.org.

ChildFocus

ChildFocus is a national consulting firm specializing in policy advocacy, strategic planning, organizational development and government relations on a broad array of child and family policy issues. Launched in 2007 by Mary Bissell and Jennifer Miller, ChildFocus strives to forge connections with and between talented people, programs that are making a difference, and effective policies to support vulnerable children and their families. Their work is geared toward developing real world solutions to the complex issues that public agencies, non-profit organizations, foundations, and coalitions face as they seek to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and families. For more information on ChildFocus, please visit www.childfocuspartners.com.

Children's Defense Fund

The Children's Defense Fund Leave No Child Behind^® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. The Children's Defense Fund works with grandparents and other relative caregivers, young leaders, other advocates for children and families, the faith community, service providers and policymakers across the country to help accomplish its mission for all children in America. For more information on the Children’s Defense Fund, please visit www.childrensdefense.org.

Court Appointed Special Advocates

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is a national movement of nearly 70,000 volunteers who are appointed by judges to advocate for abused and neglected children in the child welfare system. The trained community volunteer serves as an independent investigator and advocate for the child, so that every abused or neglected child can be safe, establish permanence and have the opportunity to thrive. In 2008, volunteers served 241,000 children through more than 1,000 CASA/GAL program offices throughout the country. For more information about CASA, please visit www.casaforchildren.org.

First Focus

First Focus is a bipartisan advocacy organization dedicated to making children and families a priority in federal policy and budget decisions. Children's health, education, family economics, child welfare, and child safety are the core issue areas around which First Focus is working to promote bipartisan policy solutions. We take a unique approach to advocacy, engaging both traditional and non-traditional partners in a broad range of efforts to increase federal investments in programs that address the needs of our nation's children. In all of our work, we connect with policymakers directly and seek to raise awareness regarding public policies that affect children and families. Our goal is to ensure that these programs have the resources necessary to help our children grow up in a healthy and nurturing environment. For more information on First Focus, please visit www.firstfocus.net.

Foster Care Alumni of America

Foster Care Alumni of America is a national association of adults who spent time in the foster care system (alumni), along with allies who wish to see positive changes comes to foster care. Our mission is to connect the alumni community, and to transform foster care policy and practice, ensuring opportunity for people in and from care.

Because of our personal and professional experiences, alumni are uniquely aware of the challenges faced by young people in and from foster care. We share the same parent: the government - and we want to ensure that the next generations of foster youth have the same opportunities and supports as other young people in America.

We believe that the expertise alumni have gained from living in foster care is a critical perspective that must be heard by decision-makers, child welfare professionals, and the public, as we collectively strengthen foster care policy and practice. Foster Care Alumni of America proudly brings the voices of thousands of alumni forward in support of the fullest implementation of Fostering Connections. For more information on about Foster Care Alumni of America, please visit www.fostercarealumni.org.

Foster Club

Foster Club is the national network for young people in foster care. For the half million children living in the foster care system across the country, childhood has been interrupted by abuse, neglect or abandonment. FosterClub is their club — a place to turn to connect with supportive peers and adults, locate foster care information and resources, and gain inspiration from success stories. Our members are resilient young people determined to build a better future for themselves and for other kids coming up through the system behind them. For more information on the Foster Club, please visit www.fosterclub.org.

Generations United

Generations United (GU) is the national membership organization focused solely on improving the lives of children, youth, and older people through intergenerational strategies, programs, and public policies. GU represents more than 100 national, state, and local organizations and individuals representing more than 70 million Americans. Since 1986, GU has served as a resource for educating policymakers and the public about the economic, social, and personal imperatives of intergenerational cooperation. GU acts as a catalyst for stimulating collaboration between aging, children, and youth organizations providing a forum to explore areas of common ground while celebrating the richness of each generation. For more information on Generations United, please visit www.gu.org.

The Grandfamilies State Law and Policy Resource Center

The Grandfamilies State Law and Policy Resource Center, a collaboration with Casey Family Programs, the American Bar Association’s Center on Children and the Law and Generations United, serves as a national training and technical assistance resource created to educate individuals about state laws and legislation in support of grandfamilies and to assist interested state legislators, advocates, caregivers, attorneys, and other policymakers in exploring policy options to support relatives and the children in their care both within and outside the child welfare system. Additionally, the Resource Center staff provides technical assistance to states and national organizations to assist with implementation of the kinship provisions of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008. For more information on The Grandfamilies State Law and Policy Resource Center, please visit www.grandfamilies.org.

The John Burton Foundation

The John Burton Foundation for Children Without Homes is non-profit organization based in San Francisco dedicated to improving the quality of life for California’s homeless children and developing policy solutions to improve the quality of the foster care system in California and nationally. For more information about the John Burton Foundation, please visit www.johnburtonfoundation.org.

Legal Center for Foster Care and Education

The Legal Center for Foster Care and Education (Legal Center FCE) is a collaboration between Casey Family Programs and the ABA’s Center on Children and the Law, in conjunction with the Education Law Center-PA and the Juvenile Law Center. The Legal Center FCE serves as a national technical assistance resource and information clearinghouse on legal and policy matters affecting the education of children in the foster care system. The Legal Center FCE provides expertise to states and constituents, facilitates networking to advance promising practices and reforms, and provides technical assistance and training to respond to the ever-growing demands for legal support and guidance. The Legal Center FCE focuses on supporting direct education advocacy efforts for children in foster care, as well as promoting federal, state and local laws and policies that address the education needs of this population. The Legal Center builds on the ever-increasing momentum behind meeting the education needs of children in foster care; an issue that can help establish safety, permanency and well being for children involved with the child welfare system. To learn more about the Legal Center FCE and see all of the materials and resources, please visit www.abanet.org/child/education.

North American Council on Adoptable Children

Since its founding in 1974 by adoptive parents, the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) has been dedicated to the mission that every child deserves a permanent family. Through advocacy, education, support, and parent leadership capacity building, NACAC promotes and supports permanence for children and youth in foster care in the U.S. and Canada. For more information on the NACAC, please visit www.NACAC.org.

National Academy for State Health Policy

The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) is an independent academy of state health policy makers working together to identify emerging issues, develop policy solutions, and improve state health policy and practice. As a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to helping states achieve excellence in health policy and practice, NASHP provides a forum on critical health issues across branches and agencies of state government. For more information about NASHP, please visit www.nashp.org.

National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators

The National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators (NAPCWA) is a national organization representing public child welfare agencies. Founded in 1983, it is an affiliate housed within the American Public Human Services Association. Members are primarily state and local chief executive officers who work in public child welfare agencies in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. NAPCWA is committed to supporting and enhancing the public child welfare system's ability to successfully implement effective programs, practices, and policies. For more information on the National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators, please visit www.napcwa.org.

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy: Initiative to Prevent Pregnancy Among Youth in Foster Care

Since 2005, The National Campaign has worked to raise awareness of the high rates of pregnancy among youth in and aging out of foster care and the effect of early pregnancy on those in the child welfare system. We have done this through a variety of methods including research, tools for foster parents and youth, national conference calls, technical assistance, meetings at the state and national levels, briefings with policymakers, and through partnerships with national child welfare organizations. We are currently working with eight inter-agency state teams to help bridge the gap between teen pregnancy and child welfare, and working with national organizations to develop policy and program recommendations on this issue. More information about The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy is available at www.thenationalcampaign.org.

National Center for State Courts

The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) is the organization courts turn to for authoritative knowledge and information, because its efforts are directed by collaborative work with the Conference of Chief Justices, the Conference of State Court Administrators, and other associations of judicial leaders. NCSC is an independent, nonprofit court improvement organization founded at the urging of Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court Warren E. Burger. He envisioned NCSC as a clearinghouse for research information and comparative data to support improvement in judicial administration in state courts. All of NCSC's services - research, information services, education, consulting - are focused on helping courts plan, make decisions, and implement improvements that save time and money, while ensuring judicial administration that supports fair and impartial decision making. For more information on the National Center for State Courts, please visit www.ncsconline.org.

National Conference of State Legislatures

The National Conference of State Legislatures is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the nation's 50 states, its commonwealths and territories. NCSL provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues. NCSL is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of state governments before Congress and federal agencies. NCSL is your organization. The leadership of NCSL is composed of legislators and staff from across the country. The NCSL Executive Committee provides overall direction on operations of the Conference. NCSL was founded:

To improve the quality and effectiveness of state legislatures;
To promote policy innovation and communication among state legislatures;
To ensure state legislatures a strong, cohesive voice in the federal system.

For more information on the National Conference of State Legislatures, please visit www.ncsl.org.

National Foster Care Coalition

The National Foster Care Coalition (NFCC) is a broadly based national, nonpartisan partnership of organizations, foundations, associations and individuals dedicated to improving the lives of the more than half a million children currently in the foster care system and the millions more who have been, or will be, involved in the foster care system. The power of NFCC's constituency is unmatched. Its member organizations represent current and former foster youth, birth, foster and adoptive parents, and child welfare professionals at the local, state and federal levels. As a result, NFCC's ability to represent the individuals touched by foster care, working within the foster care system, and who care about children in foster care is unparalleled. Established in 1998, NFCC's mission is to build and sustain political and public will to improve the foster care system and the lives of the children and youth in its care. Unlike other child welfare organizations, NFCC focuses exclusively on foster care, and its engagement on other issues impacting children, youth and families is through the lens of this issue. For more information on the National Foster Care Coalition, please visit www.nationalfostercare.org.

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices

Founded in 1908, the National Governors Association is the collective voice of the nation’s governors and one of Washington, D.C.’s, most respected public policy organizations. Its members are the governors of the 50 states, three territories and two commonwealths. The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices is the nation’s only dedicated consulting firm for governors and their key policy staff. The Center’s mission is to develop and implement innovative solutions to public policy challenges. For more information on the NGA Center for Best Practices, please visit www.nga.org/center.

National Indian Child Welfare Association

The National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of Indian children and their families. NICWA accomplishes this goal by offering training and technical assistance related to Indian child welfare services; making available information regarding the needs and problems of Indian children; helping to improve community-based services; and working to promote improved public policies for Indian children. For additional information about this report or other NICWA projects, please contact:
www.nicwa.org

Orphan Foundation of America

Orphan Foundation of America (OFA) is dedicated to helping former foster youth find pathways to success through higher education. Since 1981, OFA has provided support, financial assistance and workforce development opportunities to youth involved with and aging out of the foster care system. OFA's programs include mentoring and coaching, internships, career readiness, and quarterly care packages for students. OFA has also launched Foster Care to Success, a national volunteer service movement designed to link business and community organizations with child welfare agencies. Through this initiative, OFA and its national partners will change the lives of foster youth by mobilizing communities and connecting caring volunteers with foster youth to provide personal, academic, and social enrichment. For more information about OFA and Foster Care to Success, please visit www.orphan.org.

PolicyLab

The aim of PolicyLab at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is to achieve optimal child health and well-being by informing program and policy changes through interdisciplinary research. PolicyLab develops evidence-based solutions for the most challenging health-related issues affecting children. We partner with numerous stakeholders in traditional healthcare and other community locations to identify the programs, practices, and policies that support the best outcomes for children and their families. PolicyLab disseminates its findings beyond research and academic communities as part of its commitment to transform "evidence to action." For more information on PolicyLab, please visit www.research.chop.edu/programs/policylab.

School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was founded in 1920. Its mission is to expand knowledge regarding social problems and programs, to educate social workers for advanced practice and to provide leadership in the development of socially and economically just policies and programs that strengthen individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. The School's Jordan Institute for Families houses several research, training and technical assistance projects of the School of Social Work at the UNC at Chapel Hill. Addressing family issues across the lifespan, the Jordan Institute brings together experts-including families themselves-to develop and test policies and practices that strengthen families and engage communities. For more information on the School of Social Work at the UNC at Chapel Hill, please visit ssw.unc.edu.

Voice for Adoption

Voice for Adoption (VFA) develops and advocates for improved adoption policies. Recognized as a national leader in special needs adoption, VFA works closely with federal and state legislators, as well as other child welfare organizations, to make a difference in the lives of the 130,000 children in foster care who are waiting to be adopted and the families who adopt children from foster care. For more information on Voice for Adoption, please visit www.voice-for-adoption.org.

Voices for America’s Children

Voices for America’s Children champions children’s needs at every level of government. Over the past quarter-century, Voices’ national advocacy network of 60 prominent state and local advocacy organizations across 45 states has been at the forefront of every child policy issue and debate. For more information about Voices for America’s Children, please visit www.voices.org.