6 POLICY SOLUTIONS TO ENSURE QUALITY, STABLE FOSTER PARENTING

Support relationships between birth and foster families

Implement data-driven recruitment and retention practices

Engage foster parents in decision-making

Provide timely access to trusted, dedicated staff and peer support to foster parents

Prioritize placements with family members

Ensure timely access to physical and mental health services

To establish and prioritize

effective approaches to

recruiting, supporting

and retaining quality,

stable foster parenting

THE CHALLENGE FOR STATES AND COMMUNITIES

POLICY SOLUTIONSHOW CHILDREN BENEFIT

Stable, quality foster parenting will help more children: • Be safe and healthy,• Experience greater academic

success,• Stay connected to their

siblings• Have more stable lives, and• Leave foster care for a

permanent family through safe reunification with birth families, placements with relatives, or through adoption.

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When a child needs foster care, quality foster parenting must be a priority. Foster parents are the primary intervention for ensuring the safety and well-being of children in foster care and helping them heal and thrive.

To ensure stable, quality foster parenting is a priority, CHAMPS offers a set of solutions.

PLEASE CONTACT CHAMPS FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE POLICY SOLUTIONS.

ALSO, STAY TUNED: CHAMPS plans to issue a compendium to the CHAMPS Policy Playbook in October to feature exemplary policies and practices

for recruiting, supporting and retaining quality foster parents. You can reach us at [email protected].

Stay connected to CHAMPS by following us on Facebook and Twitter (@fosteringchamps) and by visiting our website: www.fosteringchamps.org