Foster Family Appreciation

welcome and #Thanks Foster Families!

We are so pleased you are visiting this web page. We hope you will join CHAMPS in May and throughout the year in expressing appreciation to the amazing foster families across the country who step in to provide safe, stable families for children in foster care. On this page, you can check out many ways to say #ThanksFosterFamilies for all they do, including a new foster family story bank, an online social media toolkit, a sample proclamation, and more. We also invite you to check out our policy resources, including the CHAMPS policy playbook and a CHAMPS Guide on Foster Parent Recruitment and Retention.

foster family Stories

NEW. CHAMPS is excited to share a new foster family story bank featuring amazing foster families. We’re sharing these stories on our website and through social media as part of a national effort to thank families for all they do to help children heal and thrive. We encourage you to visit the family story bank online. In addition, we hope you join us in spreading the word about these families by using sample social media messages available in our online social media toolkit to say #ThanksFosterFamilies. We will continue adding family stories to the story bank. We collect stories through this online form. You can also learn more from this guide on how to share foster family stories.

Many Ways to say thanks

See this list of ideas for ways that child welfare agencies, legislators and other community-based organizations can show support for foster parents in their communities. Ideas include:

• Issue a proclamation to recognize foster parents for their many contribution, see sample proclamation
• Public agencies and/or civic organizations can host a special event to recognize the contribution of foster families.
• Send thank you notes to foster families.
• Share success stories of foster families.
• See full list of ideas here.

SAMPLE PROCLAMATION

Each year, Congress passes a Congressional resolution to designate May as National Foster Care Month.  This same resolution establishes May 31 as National Foster Family Appreciation Day.  What better time is there to show thanks? One important — and official — way state and local leaders can show support for foster parents is by issuing a proclamation. We provide a sample proclamation here. It includes phrases such as:

WHEREAS, children are key to our community’s future success, prosperity and quality of life; and

WHEREAS, children have a right to thrive, learn and grow in a safe and loving environment; and

WHEREAS, foster parents, including kinship caregivers, provide the love, safety and stability that children need in order to overcome past traumatic experiences in order to reach their full potential; and …..

Download the sample proclamation here.

Join Us on social media

Check out our new online social media toolkit and help spread foster parent appreciation messages on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. In addition, join a Tweetstorm on May 31 (National Foster Family Appreciation Day). Follow and join in the conversation #ThanksFosterFamilies. Is there a special event for foster families in your community? Highlight it in your posts. Say a word of thanks to a foster parent you know. Tag that person in your posts. Below are some sample posts to get you started. Check out the new social media toolkit for more messages, a Facebook frame, a directory of Twitter handles and more.

All kids do best in families. We join in celebrating all amazing families: birth, foster, kin, adoptive. #ThanksFosterParents

We salute public officials, community orgs & businesses that support foster parents. By helping foster parents, we help kids succeed.  #ThanksFosterParents

appreciation Events We’re excited about

CHAMPS salutes the many agencies, public officials, community organizations, employers, faith-based institutions and others who are speaking out and organizing events to show appreciation to amazing foster families across the country. We invite you to see the CHAMPS Blog to read more about how Governors, state legislators, businesses, and others are showing support for foster families.

And please help us shine the light on amazing foster families. Take a minute to share about a foster family you know, and/or encourage others to visit this online form to share a few words of thanks for foster families. These stories are featured in our family story bank, which will be published in May.

may is national foster care month

The Children’s Bureau, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services publishes a wide range of resources related to National Foster Care Month on a dedicated website. There are many wonderful “real life” stories shared through narrative and video. There are also resources for birth parents, youth and professionals, as well as many resources geared for foster parents, available here, such as tip sheets and guides.

champs policy goals

The primary goal of CHAMPS is to improve foster parenting policies in states and nationally. CHAMPS provides information and tools to assist policy makers.

• See the CHAMPS Policy Playbook for evidence-based approaches to strengthening foster parenting
• Check out this new video of foster parents talking about the CHAMPS policy goals
• Learn more about technical assistance available through CHAMPS

connect with champs

CHAMPS will continue to promote foster parent appreciation and publicize the exciting ways that communities are recognizing amazing foster families around the country.

• Like us on Facebook
• Follow Us on Twitter: @fosteringCHAMPS
• View our stories on YouTube