Resources for Foster Parents

There is no play­book for fos­ter par­ent­ing, but the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Fam­i­ly Well-Being Strat­e­gy Group has iden­ti­fied 10 online resources aimed at help­ing care­givers suc­ceed in this crit­i­cal role.

10 Resources for Fos­ter Parents

“It Matters…A LOT”

A blog post, writ­ten by an adop­tion recruiter in Ohio, that under­scores the impor­tance of keep­ing sib­lings togeth­er in fos­ter care.

Sup­port­ing Your LGBTQ Youth

An arti­cle in the Fam­i­ly Jus­tice Jour­nal describes expe­ri­ences of LGBTQ+ youth in care to help every­one bet­ter under­stand and sup­port these young people.

Nation­al Fos­ter Par­ent Association

Check out the Nation­al Fos­ter Par­ent Asso­ci­a­tion, which offers an active nation­al net­work of care­givers, online train­ing and a rich resource library for fos­ter, kin­ship and adop­tive parents.

KEEP: Evidence‑Based Sup­port for Families

Con­sid­er KEEP: Evidence‑Based Sup­port for Fam­i­lies — offer­ing trauma‑informed par­ent groups and peer sup­port tai­lored for fos­ter, kin­ship and adop­tive families.”

Social Media Tips for Fos­ter Par­ents and Caregivers

A fact sheet with ques­tions and tips for fos­ter par­ents to con­sid­er when explor­ing social media use for them­selves or a child in their care.

Grand­par­ents Rais­ing Grandchildren

A web­page with tar­get­ed advice for grand­par­ents who have stepped in to serve as the pri­ma­ry par­ent for their grandchildren.

Cop­ing With the Unique Chal­lenges of Kin­ship Care

A video train­ing series by Joseph Crum­b­ley for kin care­givers and the child wel­fare work­ers who sup­port them.

Resources Espe­cial­ly for Fos­ter or Adop­tive Families

A web­page geared toward sup­port­ing fos­ter par­ents and adop­tive par­ents who have a child with dis­abil­i­ties in their care.

Keep­ing the Con­ver­sa­tion Alive

A resource series — lever­ag­ing find­ings from ado­les­cent brain sci­ence — for care­givers, child wel­fare pro­fes­sion­als and oth­er car­ing adults to help them bet­ter sup­port youth in care.

Thrive: How the Sci­ence of the Ado­les­cent Brain Helps Us Imag­ine a Bet­ter Future for All Children

Lisa Lawson’s Thrive explores how car­ing adults can help young peo­ple build resilience, pur­pose, and con­nec­tion to reach their full potential.