Foster

Two years ago this month, the Family First Prevention Services Act became law and spurred bold reforms in child welfare. By realigning federal funding, Family First is driving system changes to keep more families safely together as well as improve the quality of foster care for children and youth who cannot remain safely at home.

On January 27, 2017, in the case of D.O. v Glisson, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati found that children placed with approved, unlicensed relatives were eligible for federal foster payments on the same basis as children placed in licensed foster homes.

Last week, HBO released “Foster,” a documentary hailed to be the first insider look at Los Angeles County’s child welfare system, the largest in the nation with jurisdiction over more than 18,000 kids.

HBO has acquired the rights to air a documentary that weaves together the stories of youth, families and workers in the child welfare system. “Foster,” created by filmmakers Deborah Oppenheimer and Mark Jonathan Harris, uses the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) as the frame to bring viewers into the day-to-day world of protecting children and helping families in crisis.

A dozen foster parents surround the table at the mandated Foster Care Child Sex Trafficking class, listening with perked ears to the class leader. She is a survivor of early childhood sex trafficking.

Leaders from across New York City government released a plan yesterday to significantly expand placements of foster youth with close relatives and family friends, along with 15 other recommendations for improving outcomes for foster youth.

What makes a person so passionate about foster youth? In a series of interviews, the Chronicle of Social Change tells you what makes these people superstars in the world of child welfare services.