Nine nonprofits have joined to support a new nationwide effort to carry out the Fostering Connections Act, which serves to meet the healthcare needs of youth in foster care. The groups have also launched the Fostering Connections Resource Center.
The coalition of organizations includes the Annie E. Casey, Eckerd Family, Sierra Health, and Stuart and Walter S. Johnson foundations; Casey Family Programs; the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption; the Duke Endowment; and the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative.
“Congress took a bold and important step a year ago by passing the most important federal child welfare legislation in at least a decade,” Cari DeSantis, executive vice president of public affairs and communications for Casey Family Programs, said in a statement. “Casey and our consortium partners are committed to removing any barrier to implementation of the Fostering Connections Act. None of us wants a child to wait a minute longer than necessary to live in a safe, loving and permanent family home.”
The new resource center is a place for informational data and tools, discussion, current resources and technical assistance for state governments, tribal leaders, child welfare officials, court personnel, case workers, families, child advocates and others. It provides nonpartisan data on six areas of the new law: adoption, kinship care, older youth, tribal child welfare, health and education.
The Fostering Connections Resource Center is managed by Child Trends and The Finance Project.
Contact: Marci Bransdorf (301) 257-7348, or Fostering Connections Resource Center (203) 401-6923, http://www.fosteringconnections.org.
