Each year, the Children’s Bureau’s National Foster Care Month (NFCM) initiative features real-life stories from Children’s Bureau grantees and others.

As an NFCM partner, the National Foster Parent Association is helping the Children’s Bureau find stories highlighting the 2019 initiative’s theme: foster care being a support for families rather than a substitute for parents. We are looking for stories encompassed by this theme and that focus specifically on ways the child welfare system can strengthen the capacity of families to nurture and provide for the well-being of their children. The NFCM 2019 website will highlight tools, resources, and best practice examples focused on helping child welfare professionals increase the likelihood of reunification. It will give specific attention to community engagement, collaborative relationships, and targeted support services as key factors in supporting family preservation and keeping families healthy, together, and strong.

The National Foster Parent Association, our Council of State Affiliates, and our members and friends have been identified as possible resources for such stories because of the promising work we do for children and families.

If you’re interested in sharing a story for the NFCM 2019 initiative, please contact Kari Kryda, child welfare content specialist at Child Welfare Information Gateway, at NFCM@childwelfare.gov by September 26, 2018, for detailed instructions. Stories must be submitted no later than October 17, 2018. Thank you again for your continued support of this important initiative.