A form of targeted and/or child/youth-centered recruitment that promotes formal and informal initiatives between social service providers and communities of faith to share the responsibility of serving children and youth by supporting families engaged in foster care and adoption. Communities of faith may partner with social service providers in a variety of ways to promote the recruitment of foster and adoptive families or to help retain those families. These types of partnerships may range from a single event or situation to a formalized, long-term collaboration.
Promising Approaches
Ideas from the Field
Other Resources & Reports
Websites
Promising Approaches
One Church One Child of Illinois
National Network of Adoption Advocacy Programs (NNAAP)
http://www.nnaap-ococ.org/
Contact: 804-377-1627 or info@nnaap-ococ.org
Description: A national adoption education and recruitment model first founded by Father George Clements, an African American Roman Catholic priest from Chicago, Illinois. The original mission of the program, for "each church in the Black community to find at least one family to adopt at least one waiting child or sibling group," has since expanded to other states, denominations and communities. Since its founding in 1980, more than 140,000 children have been adopted as a result of the partnership between One Church One Child recruitment programs and state child welfare adoption units in over 30 States. In 2003, the National Network of Adoption Advocacy Programs was founded with funding from the Children's Bureau to support, network, and develop the One Church One Child model nationally.
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Ideas from the Field
"Journey Home" Bus Tour
Sponsor: Mission West Virginia
Contact: Kelly Thompson, Mission WV, 304-204-9898, ococ@missionwv.org
Description: To increase public awareness and generate exposure to the issue of children in foster care, several West Virginia organizations gave a bus tour for over 30 community leaders, including members of the media and state legislature. The "Journey Home" project, organized by Mission West Virginia, a faith-based adoption program, and with the assistance of other social service agencies, tried to recreate the experiences of a child in foster care. Stops were made at the local hospital emergency room, DHHR office and at the courts. Participants were often times unaware of where they were going next and what was in store, mirroring the confusion and anxiety of children entering foster care. The day ended with a panel of speakers - foster and adoptive parents, social workers and an inspiring youth adoptee who was able to give his unique perspective on his experience of foster care. Due to the success of the tour - the story was picked up by television, radio and print outlets. Mission West Virginia is currently in the process of developing a manual to assist other groups that might be interested in holding a "Journey Home" tour in their community.
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Websites
Child Welfare Information Gateway
(Formerly National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information and the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse)
http://www.childwelfare.gov/
National Child Welfare Resource Center for Adoption
http://www.nrcadoption.org
National Network of Adoption Advocacy Programs (NNAAP)
http://www.nnaap-ococ.org/
National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning
http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/
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