Educating Families
Equipping Adoptive, Foster and Kinship parents to better care for their children
40% of kids in foster care have three or more placements.1
Foster (Resource) Parents are less likely to initiate placement disruption when they are equipped with education surrounding behavioral challenges and a supportive community of people who understand the unique experience of a foster parent.2
Cultivating Community
Support Groups
A place to feel heard and connected
For adoptive, foster, and kinship parents, each group has a time of sharing, continues with a piece of curriculum, and ends with a group discussion on the curriculum.
Resource Parent Roundtable Discussions
Community nights to connect
Foster care is unique, and no training will ever prepare you for some of the decisions you’ll have to make or experiences you’ll go through. Four times a year we highlight a topic and host a panel of wise foster parents willing to share from their experience.
Parents Night Out
Providing child-free hours at no cost to caregivers
Volunteer opportunity to provide a couple of hours of respite to allow parents to recuperate, rest, catch up on some household tasks, or have a long-overdue date night.
Dads and Donuts
A fun, easy way for dads to connect each month
We know providing adoptive and foster families with like-minded community is critical to the health and stability of the home.
Signs of Hope Camp
An Opportunity to Learn About God’s Love & Grace
This overnight summer camp for children 7-11 years of age is held at Mission Springs’ Frontier Ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Providing Resources
Meeting tangible needs to serve vulnerable kids in our community
Children placed with a relative (or known individual i.e., godparent) have statistically lower rates of changes in placement than children in other settings.3 Often, these family members aren’t prepared to take additional children into their care and can greatly benefit by the support of physical items such as bunk beds, car seats, etc.
CarePortal is an online platform that brings the needs of hurting children and families in our community to the church’s attention.
Pray, serve, and give to children and families in crisis.
Donation Drives
We partner with churches and organizations throughout the year to raise awareness of those in foster care while providing tangible items to share joy or ease transitions.
Drives include:
FOOTNOTES FOR STATS:
1 https://mackcenter.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/publications/achieving_placement_stability.pdf Carnochan, S., Moore, M., &Austin, MJ. (2013)
2 https://ccwip.berkeley.edu/childwelfare/reports/PlacementStability/MTMG/r/fcp/s
3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4204626/ Changes in placement among children in foster care: A longitudinal study of child and case influences. Social Services Review, 80(3), 398-418
