General Recruitment

Man playing saxophone, boy playing drums. Image from AdoptUsKids/Ad Council PSA. General recruitment broadcasts the need for foster & adoptive parents by building public interest & awareness. It focuses on drawing in a wide variety of families while setting the stage for more targeted recruitment. Examples include billboards, public service announcements, radio & advertising, agency publicity, e.g. around National Adoption Month (Nov) & National Foster Care Month (May).

Promising Approaches

Ideas from the Field

Websites

Promising Approaches

5 Year Resource Family Recruitment Plan

Sponsor: Los Angeles County (CA), National Foster Parent Association, Family to Family

Description: Los Angeles County (CA), the National Foster Parent Association and Family to Family are currently collaborating on a Model 5-Year Recruitment Plan. Specific goals of this project over the five years (2005-2009) include increasing the number of inquiries by 15% annually and increasing the number of new foster and adoptive families by 7% annually. Some strategies mentioned to help achieve these objectives include building public-private partnerships, file mining, and creation of a Heart Gallery.

To view the plan: http://www.nfpainc.org/uploads/LA_RESOURCE_5_YEAR.pdf (PDF 171 KB/69 pages)

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Ideas from the Field

Adoption Day at the Mall

Sponsor: Adoption Rhode Island, RI DCYF & RI Family Court

Contact: Bernie Hicks, Adoption Rhode Island, bhicks916@aol.com

Description: In Rhode Island, the idea to hold an adoption fair at a local mall came about through a recruitment taskforce where one person's connection with a local mall led to a great public information-sharing event. Malls present high traffic, family-oriented locations ideal for recruitment events. Held in conjunction with Rhode Island's first National Adoption Day, the event included seventeen licensed foster and adoption agencies from around the state. Each agency staffed booths with representatives to field questions and distributed program & event information. Face painters helped lend a fun family atmosphere.

"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 to 30 community leaders, including members of the media and state legislature. The "Journey Home" project, 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, 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. Mission West Virginia is developing a manual to assist other groups in holding a "Journey Home" tour in their community.

Wristbands Raise Awareness & Fund Scholarships

Sponsor: Arizona Association of Foster & Adoptive Parents

Contact: Kris Jacober, AZ Assoc. of Foster & Adoptive Parents, 603-271-4711, kris.jacober@cox.net

Description: Sometimes one good idea leads to another. After seeing the popularity of the yellow wristbands promoting cancer awareness and funding cancer research, board members of the AZ Association of Foster & Adoptive Parents thought the same principle might work to support foster children. In conjunction with May's National Foster Care Month, they ordered 10,000 blue wristbands, one for each of Arizona's 10,000 foster children. The bands were sold for $2 each and included a card informing the wearer what the band symbolized and directing them to additional information on the Association's webpage. All 10,000 bands were sold and the proceeds donated to Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation to fund scholarships for college-bound foster children.

Youth Advisory Board Training Video Sponsor: Missouri DSS

Contact: Sally Gaines, Sally.Gaines@dss.mo.gov

Description: Missouri's Independent Living Youth Advisory Board wrote & directed a videotape "What's It All about? Missouri's Youth Advisory Board Speaks Out on Foster Care." In the video, several foster youth are interviewed and give their honest takes on their experiences - the good and the bad - while in care. Missouri uses this tape during foster and adoptive parent pre-service training. Many important discussion topics around foster care and adoption naturally arise as a result of the video, such as youth being separated from their siblings, parent and social worker visits, and their labeling as foster children.

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