May is National Foster Care Month Championed by the Children’s Bureau, this month celebrates all the individuals who support youth in foster care, such as foster parents, child welfare professionals, policymakers, and volunteers.1 The Florida Department of Children and Families has a list of ways you can support fostering, such as by providing school supplies, car seats, high chairs, diapers or clothing; mentoring a child in care; or making donations for holidays, birthdays and graduation.2
Facts & Figures 23,088 children in out-of-home placements in Florida. Of those children, the majority are placed in As of March 2020, there are
licensed foster care (38%) or with an approved relative (37%).3
Common reasons for out-of-home placement include
parental drug abuse, domestic violence, and a caregiver’s inability to cope. 4
Florida’s children of color are disproportionately represented in out-of-home care, especially children of color who identify as multiracial or a race other than Black/African American.5
Between April 2019 and March 2020, the total number of
licensed foster homes increased by nearly 21 percent, from 10,853 to 13,085. 6
“Open
foster families,” characterized by including the foster youth
into family rituals and cooperating with birth parents, might increase youths’ sense of belonging.7
Foster parents can promote openness with birth parents by 8
Providing regular updates to them about the child’s life Engaging in co-planning for the child Sending invitations for face-to-face meetings with the child, birth parents, and foster parents
Institute Affiliates We have several affiliates who have expertise in foster care. Learn more about their work in our affiliate directory:
ficw.fsu.edu/affiliates
Shamra Boel-Studt, Ph.D., MSW
Mitch Rosenwald, Ph.D., LCSW
Morgan Cooley, Ph.D., MSW
Lisa Schelbe, Ph.D, MSW
Chris Groeber, MSW
Heather Thompson, Ph.D., MSW
Khalilah Louis-Caines, MSW
Martie Gillen, Ph.D., MBA
Marleen Milner, Ph.D., MSSW
Gihan Omar, Psy.D.
Florida State University
Florida Atlantic University
University of South Florida
Saint Leo University
Barry University
Florida State University
Florida Atlantic University
Southeastern University
University of Florida
Citrus Health Network
Jessica Felix-Jäger de Weaver, DSW, MSW, CWLC Southeastern University
Institute Spotlight Morgan Cooley earned her Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy
in 2014 and MSW in Social Work in 2009 from Florida State University. She is currently a social work faculty member at Florida Atlantic University and has been an Institute affiliate since 2019. Dr. Cooley is a licensed clinical social worker with practice experience working with child welfare-involved families. Her research focuses on the relationship quality between foster children and foster parents, the influence of fostering experiences and child behavior on foster parent well-being, and what factors are associated with improved foster child mental health. Her ultimate career goal is to enhance the preparation and training of both relative and non-relative foster families to support youth who have to be placed into foster care, particularly youth who are dealing with mental health challenges. Her recent article,
A Qualitative Examination of Coparenting among Foster Parent Dyads, is available in Children and Youth Services Review. 1
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Children’s Bureau. (2020). National foster care month 2020: Foster care as a support to families, not a substitute for parents. Retrieved April 9, 2020 from https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/about Florida Department of Children and Families. (2019). Foster care: Supporting fostering. Retrieved April 27, 2020 from https://www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/foster-care/support-fostering.shtml Florida Department of Children and Families Dashboard. (2020, April). Children in out of-home care. Retrieved from https://www.myflfamilies.com/programs/childwelfare/dashboard/c-in-ooh.shtml Florida Department of Children and Families Dashboard. (2020, April). Children and young adults entering out-of-home care. Retrieved from https://www.myflfamilies.com/programs/childwelfare/dashboard/c-entering-ooh.shtml Florida Department of Children and Families. (2019). Disproportionality index for children in out-of-home care. Retrieved April 27, 2020 from https://www.myflfamilies.com/programs/childwelfare/dashboard/disproportionality-index.shtml Florida Department of Children and Families Dashboard. (2020, March). Foster home bed capacity by level of licensure. Retrieved from https://www.myflfamilies.com/programs/childwelfare/placement.shtml#2 Hedin, L. (2014). A sense of belonging in a changeable everyday life – A follow-up study of young people in kinship, network, and traditional foster families. Child & Family Social Work, 19, 165-173. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2206.2012.00887.x Hedin, L. (2015). Good relations between foster parents and birth parents: A Swedish Study of practices promoting successful cooperation in everyday life. Child Care in Practice, 21(2), 177-191. https://doi.org/10.1080/13575279.2015.1005574
The Florida Institute for Child Welfare seeks to promote safety, permanency, and well-being among the children and families of Florida that are involved with the child welfare system. FICW.FSU.EDU
@FSUChildWelfare