The Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition held a series of “town hall” meetings with hundreds of local child welfare community members after learning that the State of Missouri is making a $5 million investment to expand foster care and adoption services. These conversations helped the Coalition form a bold vision for changing the way children experience foster care in St. Louis.
In close collaboration with our community partners, the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition will expand our work for families in the following four areas:
1. Rapidly Increase the Number of Foster Parents
Every child in foster care will have a family who meets their unique cultural, behavioral, and emotional needs by expanding the number of African American, medical/behavioral, and respite foster homes. Grow capacity by 133%.
2. Permanent Families for Children as Quickly as Possible
Recognizing that every moment in foster care is too long, children will reach a permanent family as quickly as possible by reducing waitlists for 30 Days to Family® and Extreme Recruitment®, and providing expanded family finding services to partner agencies. Grow capacity by 62%.
3. Wraparound Support & Training
Caregivers and professionals will have timely, effective access to the best support and training to meet children’s mental health and cultural needs, including the areas of trauma, transracial parenting, and LGBTQIA+ support. We will bolster services in rural, underserved counties. Grow capacity by 88%.
4. Tailored Services for Families & Older Youth
Ensure no child falls through the cracks by eliminating current waitlists for educational and mental health systems navigation, as well as crisis intervention, and supporting older youth with housing and workforce development needs. Grow capacity by 62%.