Stabilize Foster Care – Support Foster Parents and Foster Children

We know that change starts at home.  We have an average of 6,000 kids in foster care in our state.  Those kids need a safe and secure place to stay with a family who is trained, supported, and equipped to provide a true home of healing. We are excited that Oregon now offers KEEP to foster families statewide. We advocate that Oregon continue to fund and expand the KEEP program, helping to make every home a healing home.

Some kids need a team in addition to a supportive family. Foster Homes of Healing endorses Oregon’s investment in  therapeutic foster placement expansion through the Treatment Foster Care Oregon program. Like all kids, those in need of extra care and attention thrive in a family environment, and TFCO supports the families of higher need kiddos to become true homes of healing.

In addition to stabilizing foster homes, we must reduce the number of kids being removed into care. This means we need to support families and children prior to an experience with child welfare, throughout involvement, and beyond.  Bio and kinship families should have access to the same level of training and support as foster families. Transition age youth, families of color, immigrant and Native American families all deserve to have state-of the art support services so that every family and child in Oregon can thrive.

Foster Homes of Healing supports continuing to expand the Independent Living Program, culturally specific cohorts of KEEP and TFCO for BIPOC and non-native speakers, LGBTQ affinity groups, and preventative parent-training and supports. Continuing to decrease the caseloads of casework staff is also crucial so that families get the support and services they need and none that they don’t. This is why FHOH also supports creating 124 more casework staff positions in 2021-2023.

About

Foster Homes of Healing is a coalition of ten organizations from across the state that are dedicated to improving foster care in Oregon through legislative action. 

Our coalition is committed to elevating the quality of foster care by providing foster families with the supports they need to ensure all of Oregon’s children have a safe place to call home.  You can find a current list of our member organizations here and in the About dropdown menu above.

Blog

Support Foster Parents and Relieve the System Crisis

WHERE DO WE BEGIN? With so many challenges facing the foster care system, Foster Homes of Healing contends that stabilizing current population of foster children and families is the best place to begin resolving the spectrum of issues before us. Preparation, support services, parent skill-building, peer support, and training are what foster parents need to …

If foster parents had what they actually need to help raise these kids, maybe more people would do it.

When my daughter came to live with me as a 10-year-old foster child, a common sentiment came from friends and colleagues, even strangers sometimes.  People would say things like “wow, I could never do that.” Or, “I have thought of doing that but I couldn’t.”  There was a sort of reverence for my being a …

Contact

Thank you for supporting Oregon’s foster families.

I can be reached directly at marissa@fearlessfacilitation dot net, or you can sign up for our newsletter below!