Foster Parent Associations: A Valuable Recruitment Resource

Vol. 4, No. 3
June 1999

Foster Parent Associations: A Valuable Recruitment Resource

As they try to improve their recruitment and retention of foster parents, more and more of North Carolina's counties are strengthening and partnering with their local foster parent associations. Why? Because foster parent associations offer emotional support for foster parents facing challenges with their children, provide a forum for additional foster parent training, and promote working, collaborative partnerships among DSS, foster parents, and birth families. When foster parents feel supported, they are better able to meet the needs of their foster children and more likely to continue fostering.

In addition, many counties are collaborating with their local foster parent associations to recruit and train new foster parents. There is no better advertisement for foster parenting than well-trained, supported, and committed foster parents!

For more information, see the following websites: The National Foster Parent Association at <http://www.nfpainc.org/> and The North Carolina Foster Parent Association at <http://www.ncfosterparents.org/>.

Source

NC Div. of Social Services' North Carolina Families for Kids Handbook, 1998.