It’s the new year, and you’ve probably made a few resolutions. One of them may be related to recruiting new foster homes. If so, and you’re now regretting that resolution, take heart! We have some ideas for you to start fresh and build momentum:


  • You don’t have to plan out your entire recruitment year in a sitting. Sometimes it’s good to jot a few ideas down, let them marinate, and come back to them later.
  • Is there an area of recruitment that you actually do enjoy, and feel that you personally have good ideas around? Go with it! Start a thread of ideas around that topic and allow those to percolate. Focusing on something you actually enjoy will give you the energy to tackle other areas of recruitment that maybe are not as “fun.” 
  • If you’ve been feeling a little burned out with recruitment, maybe now is the time to assemble a team. A team has so many advantages:
  • Distribute the work amongst more people
  • Brainstorm fresh ideas
  • Obtain expertise in areas like marketing or data collection from people with more exposure to those skillsets or data
  • Get perspectives from community members that are outside the child welfare world
  • Just start writing. Grab your keyboard or a notebook and just write whatever comes to mind in the area of recruitment or support and development of your existing foster homes. Be wild and creative and don’t put common sense or budget or time constraints on this process. Let it flow. Then put it away and come back to it in a few days. You may find some real gems in there that you hadn’t considered before. 
  • Poll your foster families. What would they most like to see in 2022 as a show of support and appreciation from your agency? While what you’ve been doing is probably wonderful, maybe it’s time for some fresh ideas for the new year. Who better to ask than the folks receiving the support? A quick survey on a free survey platform or a poll conducted by one of your Foster Parent Champions could give your ideas a boost. And don’t forget development! Do you have families itching to increase their skill level, attend special training, or perhaps even engage in recruitment as part of your team? Development is a way to help your foster families kickstart the new year as well as your team. 
  • Live dangerously. Have you ever considered collaborating with another agency in your recruitment efforts? If not, maybe this is the year! Two heads are better than one, and think of the resources you could pool, not only financially, but in terms of FPCs, team members, media outlets, and more! 

We hope these ideas get the creative juices flowing, and help you kickstart your recruitment for the new year! As always, please contact our recruitment team at the Coalition for Children, Youth & Families for support and consultation around recruitment.