Our foster care data project

Every year since 2018, we’ve asked all 50 states to report foster care data that helps capture the number licensed and unlicensed caregivers as well as youth in care, well ahead of the release of federal data — which often lags a year behind. We call this project Who Cares: A National Count of Foster Homes and Families.

Our vision

Through journalism and storytelling, FMC works to elevate the voice of people with lived experience related to these issues across the country with a particular focus in California, Georgia, Minnesota, New York, Texas and Washington.

Our mission & programs

Fostering Media Connections publishes media and journalism to lead the conversation about children, youth and families in the US. Our core issues are child welfare, youth justice and youth homelessness.

FMC’s programs are

  • The Imprint, an award-winning daily news site focused on child welfare, youth justice and youth homelessness. 

  • Youth Voices Rising, a media training program for youth with lived experience in foster care, juvenile justice systems and/or homelessness. Participants are paid for their work.

  • Fostering Families Today, a bimonthly resource magazine distributed in all 50 states to roughly 20,000 foster, adoptive and kinship families. 

  • SafeCamp Audio, a podcast network producing and promoting quality audio content on child welfare, youth justice and youth homelessness.