Faith-based recruitment is 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.

Ideas from the Field

The programs and initiatives highlighted below include ideas and examples of successful efforts from the field. Some of these initiatives have ended while others are still active. We are continually adding to this list as new strategies emerge. Check back soon for more great ideas on recruiting and retaining foster, adoptive and kinship parents.

• One Church One Child of Illinois: This is 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 more than 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. Source: National Network of Adoption Advocacy Programs (NNAAP) / Contact: 804.377.1627 or info@nnaap-ococ.org
  
  
• "Journey Home" Bus Tour: 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 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 in the process of developing a manual to assist other groups that might be interested in holding a "Journey Home" tour in their community. Source: Mission West Virginia / Contact: Kelly Thompson, Mission WV 304.204.9898 or ococ@missionwv.org

Resources and Reports

AdoptUsKids

• Finding Common Ground: A Guide for Child Welfare Agencies Working with Communities of Faith (2.9 MB PDF): This guide shares the art and science of building effective partnerships with communities of faith for the purpose of recruiting and supporting foster and adoptive families for children in out-of-home care and highlights wisdom and lessons learned from successful targeted recruitment initiatives with faith communities.

Other Resources

• Foster Care Adoption in the United States: An Analysis of Interest in Adoption & a Review of State Recruitment Strategies: Conducted by the Urban Institute Child Welfare Research Program, this 2005 report provides a national overview of the state of adoption recruitment by examining motivations and interest levels in adoption, the types of people who take further steps and how such interest might be translated into foster care adoption. The report also provides some innovative child-specific, faith-based, diligent and targeted recruitment activities. Source: The National Adoption Day Coalition / Contact: National Adoption Day, 202.572.2993; The Urban Institute, 202.833.7200
  
  
• Recruiting News: Faith Communities (76 KB PDF): North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) recruitment newsletter on the topic of recruiting within communities of faith. Articles address successful projects and partnerships. Source: North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) / Contact: 651.644.3036 or info@nacac.org
  
  
• Individualized and Targeted Recruitment for Adoption (141 KB PDF): This 2003 resource provides an overview of child-specific and targeted recruitment efforts and strategies that have achieved observable results. Some of the child-specific programs highlighted include Wednesday's Child, New Mexico's Heart Gallery, Georgia's Video Conference Matching Meetings, Iowa's Permanency for Teens Project, One Church One Child, Strategic Recruitment, RESULTS and the Utah Foster Care Foundation. Source: Casey Family Programs / Contact: cncinfo@casey.org

For additional resources on recruitment and retention of foster, adoptive and kinship parents, see our publications for professionals or find out more about targeted recruitment and family retention.