Families are in “back-to-school” transitioning, and once again the pandemic is creating a layer of uncertainty. We can support foster/adoptive and relative caregiver families with school transition tips, pandemic parenting tips, and more.

Maybe your agency had a foster/relative caregiver family picnic planned, and now those plans are on hold, up in the air, or canceled altogether. Time to rework “We value you!” activities. Revisit these Footnotes articles for ideas: Every Champion Needs Support, Sharing Resources for Support, Little Things Make a Big Difference, and many more.

Did your foster families maintain adequate childcare as the pandemic dragged on? Has a caregiver family member recently become ill? Checking in with your families will let you know if it's time for Round Two (or Three or Four) of pandemic relief. Check-in with Denise Goodman of the Annie E. Casey Foundation for ideas: Support during a Pandemic

If you’ve been considering new retention/support activities, now’s the time to crank them up. Considering a new foster parent mentoring program? Designing a respite program that meets families’ needs? Find more ideas at the Child Welfare Information Gateway.

 

Go to our Lending Library, scroll down to “Category” and select “Foster Care.” Do you see the number 146 next to that category? That’s how many items we have related to foster care, whether it’s books, DVDs, newsletters, or tip sheets. Explore the offerings, check a few out through our free lending library, and host a connection group night on the topic, obtain copies for all of your foster/relative caregiver families, or share the information in a training.

Need more ideas to support your resource families? Contact a Resource Specialist at the Coalition for Children, Youth & Families.