Specific tools & strategies to recruit families who reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of those for whom foster and adoptive homes are needed. The standards and provisions for this type of recruitment are dictated by the Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA) of 1994 and were amended by the Interethnic Placement Act (IEPA) of 1996.
Promising Approaches
Websites
Promising Approaches
United for Families: The Collaborative Circle for the Well-Being of South Dakota’s Native Children
Sponsor: South Dakota DSS
Contact: Merlin Weyer, (605) 773-3227, Merlin.Weyer@state.sd.us
Description: The Collaborative Circle is composed of members from tribal, state, consumer and provider groups and addresses resource family recruitment and retention as well as other child welfare concerns. The Circle is an outgrowth of a state-tribal foster and adoption work group established in 2002 which was revitalized with the support of technical assistance from AdoptUsKids and the National Resource Center for Organizational Improvement. Read an article containing a full description of the Collaborative Circle and its work. (PDF 33.7 KB/4 pages).
Children of Color Project
Sponsor: Iowa DHS
Contact: Mary Nelson, (515) 281-5521, mnelson1@dhs.state.ia.us
Description: The Children of Color Project addresses the disproportionate number of American Indian and African American children in the child welfare system in Iowa. The project partners community stakeholders with agencies to prevent repeat abuse and improve well-being in families. The project links families and children to neighborhood organizations that offer a range of culturally appropriate services and also assists the State child welfare agency in becoming more culturally sensitive and responsive. Pilot sites have been established in Woodbury County [Sioux City] where the identified minority population is American Indian and Polk County [Des Moines] where the identified minority population is African American. These pilot sites receive small grants and technical assistance to help address minority overrepresentation in the child welfare system.
top ^
Websites
Child Welfare League of America - Culture/Diversity
http://www.cwla.org/programs/culture/default.htm
Center for the Study of Social Policy - Racial Equity in Child Welfare
http://www.cssp.org/major_initiatives/racialEquity.html
National Indian Child Welfare Association
http://www.nicwa.org
Race Matters Consortium
http://www.racemattersconsortium.org/
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
http://www.aecf.org/
top ^