Articles

The “Story” Behind Extending Foster Care Past 18

In 2008, during the waning days of his Presidency, George W. Bush signed the landmark Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act into law. This sweeping change to federal child welfare policy created a host of provisions and mandates intended to improve the lives of foster children across the country.

One of the key provisions offered states that opted into extending foster care to age 21 matching federal dollars, a long time goal of many advocates perennially frustrated with the callous practice of leaving foster children to themselves at 18. The story behind this momentous step forward in how … Read more

Mediums of Change — Mon. March 12: 6-7:30 PM

How to translate foster care data, policy and practice into Journalism for Social Change.

Over the semester, Journalism for Social Change has explored the reasons why children enter the foster care system and what happens to them once they do. Our speakers have provided students with fodder for deep analysis of what is going wrong — and right — for children through presentations of research, policy, practice and journalism.

On Monday March 12^th, we are proud to have four guests representing four different mediums that can be used to shed light on issues facing foster youth.  These are: … Read more

No Foster Child Left Behind

Momentous developments for a national movement bent on improving educational outcomes for all students, starting with those in foster care. 

This week the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee will commence the long awaited overhaul of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), otherwise known as No Child Left Behind. Media coverage has already latched onto buzzwords like “continuous improvement,” codification of “Race to the Top” and “college-and-career readiness” standards.

But somewhere amidst the attention grabbing banner headlines is an amendment to ESEA of monumental importance to one group of vulnerable students, those in foster care.

This blog … Read more

Video: Fostering Media Connections at the Senate – Changing the Foster Care Narrative

On July 14, 2011, FMC Project Director Daniel Heimpel was invited to speak before the Senate Caucus on Foster Youth’s first session of what should be an incredible “Speaker Series.” The ‘Speaker Series” was inspired by Senate staff with the goal of bringing outside innovators to the field of child welfare into the Capital. The event on the 14th included: Molly McGrath of Baltimore City Department of Social Services and Pat O’Brien founder of You Gotta Believe. Senators Grassley and Landrieu both provided remarks. The room was filled with a wide range of guests, including many of the Congressional Coalition … Read more

Video – On the Road to Educational Equality, New England

In May of 2011 Fostering Media Connections launched it’s “On the Road to Educational Equality” town hall events in New England. The town halls highlighted how the problems affecting our public education system as a whole — student mobility, achievement gaps and heightened drop out rates — impact foster youth in particular. Leaders in education, child welfare and youth themselves will then explore solutions, the feasibility of such solutions and their likely effect, not only on students in foster care, but on all students.

FMC harnesses the power of journalism and media to drive public and political will behind policy … Read more

Video – Sokhom Mao Swearing in Ceremony as Alameda County Juvenile Commissioner

 

Video – Opening Dependency Courts

On March 1st, the California State Assembly’s Judiciary Committee held a heated hearing over whether or not to open juvenile dependency courts to the public. The move would allow journalists and other members of the public into court rooms that have been closed since 1961 on grounds of protecting children. FMC was there to capture the action and will be following developments on this closely.

Fostering Media Connections (FMC) is a project of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. FMC harnesses the power of journalism and media to drive public and political will behind policy and practice that improve outcomes … Read more

Video – Casey Family Services’ Parent Child Foster Care Program

Casey Family Services in Baltimore City works with pregnant and parenting teens who are in the foster care system. They lend support through helping them find foster homes, and appoint social workers to oversee the teens’ and families’ progress. FMC got a behind the scenes look at the program through the eyes of foster youth Tellita Crawford and social worker Lisa Sutton during their time in Baltimore in November 2010.

Fostering Media Connections (FMC) is a project of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI). FMC harnesses the power of journalism and media to drive public and political will behind … Read more

Video – 24 Hours with Fostering Media Connections in Massachusetts – Changing the Foster Care Narrative

The final day of Fostering Media Connections’ Massachusetts Media Market was spent at a conference in Holyoke titled “Re-Envisioning Foster Care.” The purpose was to explore ways in which to continue improving the foster care system by examining what is working expand on it. FMC’s Daniel Heimpel keynoted the conference; FMC was also successful in reaching media outlets in the region with messages of hope. Throughout the video we hear songs from a foster youth choir.

 

 

Fostering Media Connections (FMC) is a project of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI). FMC harnesses the power of journalism and … Read more

Seattle, D.C., and Easthampton Videos from 2010 – Fostering Media Connections

The Treehouse Foundation in Easthampton Massachusetts is a model for re-envisioning the way foster care can be run. An inter-generational community set in a vast expanse of peace and quiet, with a base of senior members and foster parents provides an extremely supportive environment for the youth. We see first hand the benefits of this community as a family of four adopted children living with a single mother is profiled. Judy Cockerton, founder and CEO of Treehouse is also profiled.

In late September 2010, FMC spent two days at the end of the Maryland Media market engaged in a full … Read more