Connect U Newsletter - January 2025 |
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What 2025 Has In Store for Us |
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Are You Ready?
I'm ready! And, I'm really excited about 2025! We've worked hard over the past year to develop some wonderful relationships that make the uphill climb so much easier. And, there's nothing better than Congress passing important legislation, unanimously - that will greatly support and benefit Foster, Adoptive and Kinship families. Below are some things happening in our world and yours. Please join us as we launch into another year with Many Stories, One Voice. Happy New Year!
Arnie Eby
Executive Director, NFPA |
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Fostering Strategic Relationships |
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Our goal for 2025 is to continue building alliances that will provide additional connections, resources, benefits and advocacy for parents who are providing family-based care. We are honored to work alongside these, and other organizations, in our quest for adequate resources and support for Foster, Adoptive and Kinship parents. Although there are often multiple touchpoints with each, these are a few that are quite significant. |
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Help End Human Trafficking!
The Department of Homeland Security sponsors the Blue Campaign. This is a national public awareness campaign designed to educate the public, law enforcement, and other industry partners to recognize the indicators of human trafficking, and how to appropriately respond to possible cases. January 11 is #WearBlueDay https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign |
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Ensuring Parents' Needs Are Met The NFPA was selected as one of five partners with the Center for Adoption Support and Education (CASE) to participate in the development of the first-ever National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services. The mission is to build bridges to strengthen collaboration between child welfare and mental health systems to improve availability and accessibility of adoption competent mental health services. bridges4mentalhealth.org |
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Celebrating Success While Also Owning Challenges with Strength FASD United empowers people living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and Prenatal Substance Exposure to educate the public, enact policies, and unite communities everywhere.
There is a prevalence of FASD among infants and children in foster care. FASD empowers people living with FASD through education and advocacy efforts that ultimately improve their quality of life. The NFPA is honored to be asked to participate in FASD United's Impact Week, Gala, and Symposium among other collaborative opportunities. www.fasdunited.org |
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Making Sure Congress Knows Families Matter The NFPA has worked very closely with the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) on getting much needed legislation passed to support family-based care.
The NFPA will work with CWLA in the coming months through briefings, meetings with legislative staff, and participation in events and hearings, to ensure the new Congress understands the needs of thousands of families who provide out-of-home care. |
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Every Kid Deserves a Safe Home National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is the nation’s largest and most influential child protection organization. They lead the fight to protect children, creating vital resources for them and the people who keep them safe.
In 2023, NCMEC assisted law enforcement, families and child welfare with 28,886 reports of missing children. In the last 40 years, they have recovered more than 426,000 missing children. The NFPA has recently partnered with NCMEC www.missingkids.org/home
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To help increase awareness of human trafficking, DHS holds events during January for Human Trafficking Prevention Month, including #WearBlueDay, each year.
Participation is easy! All you have to do is wear blue clothing (blue is the international color of human trafficking awareness) and take a photo with friends, family, and/or colleagues and then post on Facebook, X/Twitter, LinkedIn and/or Instagram with the hashtag #WearBlueDay. The more people who participate, the more awareness we can raise.
If you’re looking for ideas for #WearBlueDay, check out how others have done it here. Download ready-to-use #WearBlueDay graphics and captions to post on social media. Don’t forget to use #WearBlueDay and tag @DHSBlueCampaign in your social media posts! |
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NO NFPA Education Conference in 2025
Tentatively Scheduled for 2026 See Other Opportunities Below |
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Information about the NFPA Youth Scholarship application process and submission deadline will be provided in February. |
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Supporting America's Children and Families Act |
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CONGRESS PASSES CHILD WELFARE REAUTHORIZATION
On Saturday, December 21, 2024, the Senate passed HR 9076, the Supporting America’s Children and Families Act, by unanimous consent, meaning that every Senator agreed to its passage.
This bill, which was endorsed by NFPA, and passed by the House of Representatives in September, reauthorizes Title IV-B of the Social Security Act for five years.
The funding increase includes:
- Funding for the Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) program by $75M per year beginning in 2026
- $10M increase for both the Court Improvement Program (CIP) and the Regional Partnership Grants (RPGs)
- $6M increase in funding for the Monthly Caseworker Visit Program
The legislation also includes some important policy improvements:
- Support for the child welfare workforce
- Addressing poverty by providing concrete and economic supports for families
- Support for kinship caregivers
- Additional support for Indian tribes and tribal communities
The increased funding and policy reforms will have a real impact on children and families served by the child welfare system, and we are grateful for everyone who helped make this effort successful.
Special thanks to the Children’s Welfare League of America, and to Kati Mapa, Director of Public Policy, at CWLA. Kati's work in facilitating collaboration among child welfare non-profit organizations and others with an interest in child welfare, has made this a success. |
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January 21 - Save the Date |
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PART II - Strategies of Engagement for Families Working for Better Mental Health Care Services
On January 21, 2025, please join us for a webinar facilitated by Arnie Eby, Executive Director of NFPA, to learn about specific strategies families and their organizations can perform to help remedy some of the roadblocks for easily accessible and adoption-competent mental health services.
Live Webinar:
Engaging Families in Child Welfare and Mental Health Services - Part II
January 21, 2025 – 1:00-2:00pm EST |
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Thank You for Making a Difference
in the Lives of Foster Children
and the Families That Serve Them! |
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