The Alliance for Children and Families

The Alliance for Children and Families, a nonprofit association, was formed by the 1998 merger of Family Service America and the National Association of Homes and Services for Children. The Alliance represents over 370 nonprofit organizations across the nation that provide services and economic empowerment to children and families. Alliance agencies cover a wide spectrum of providers, including a diversity of faith-based organizations and nonsectarian agencies. Together, these organizations deliver more than $2 billion annually in services to more than 8 million people in nearly 6,700 communities across the United States. For more information visit www.alliance1.org.

The American Academy of Pediatrics

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is a non-profit professional organization of 60,000 pediatricians committed to the attainment of optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. For more information visit: www.aap.org  

The Baby Fold

The Baby Fold is a not-for-profit child and family support agency that specializes in holistic healing of children and their families, many of whom suffer from severe emotional and behavioral conditions. The Baby Fold is focused in the areas of residential treatment (on-site, 24-hour care), child welfare services (adoption, foster care, pregnancy counseling), family support services (parenting, housing, life skills), and academic services (alternative education, community outreach, professional training and consultation). The agency serves over 1,000 children and families throughout Central Illinois each year. At The Baby Fold, "We never give up on a child." For more information visit www.thebabyfold.org

Black Administrators in Child Welfare

As a non-profit advocacy, training and research organization, the mission of the Black Administrators in Child Welfare is to reduce disproportionality by promoting culturally appropriate services for African American children and families and developing and supporting African American leaders in the field of child welfare. For more information visit www.blackadministrators.org

Camp To Belong

Camp To Belong is an international organization, and has been actively reuniting brothers and sisters placed in separate foster, adoptive or kinship homes through Summer Camp Programs and year round events since 1995. Our primary goal is to provide a sense of belonging to youth as individuals, and as siblings, giving them opportunities to share childhood memories together, among other youth in the same situation. For additional information, visit www.camptobelong.org

Center for Public Policy Priorities

The Center for Public Policy Priorities is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization committed to improving public policies and private practices to better the economic and social conditions of low- and moderate-income Texans. The Center pursues this mission through independent research, policy analysis and development, public education, advocacy, and technical assistance. The Center's work is divided into workforce and economic development; access to public benefits, including health care, food, and cash assistance; child protection; school finance; state and federal tax and budget analysis; and family economic security. CPPP is also the Texas home to KIDS COUNT, a state-by-state effort to track and promote the well-being of children. For more information visit: www.cppp.org

The Child Welfare Organizing Project - New York City, NY

Founded in 1994, The Child Welfare Organizing Project (CWOP) is a parent / professional partnership dedicated to public child welfare reform in New York City through increased, meaningful, parent involvement in service and policy planning.

Through organized client involvement, and collective advocacy both inside and independent of the system, CWOP's mission includes the transformation of the quality of services provided to New York City families through the NYC child welfare system, for which federal financing reform would play a significant role.

In CWOP's first 10 years, New York City's foster care population, and involuntary removals of children from their families, declined by nearly 50%.

Parents who have had direct, personal experience with the child welfare system now hold seats on three NYC Administration for Children's Services (ACS) Advisory Groups, including the Commissioner's Advisory Board; work on the NY State Office of Children and Family Services' Program Improvement Plan; have been guest lecturers at virtually every area school of law and social work; developed training curricula for both parents and professionals; published their own newsletter, and are employed as peer advocates by over twenty foster care, preventive, and legal services agencies.

Children First for Oregon

Children First for Oregon is a widely respected non-partisan child advocacy organization dedicated to making Oregon a place where all children thrive. Because knowledge is power, Children First works tirelessly to improve the well-being of Oregon's children through advocacy, research, policy analysis, public education and media outreach. We educate and engage Oregonians to promote programs and policies that get results for kids.

At a time when most Oregonians can't always find what that want to know in the media nor trust what their elected leaders have to say, Children First fills a critical need. We hold politicians accountable and provide our fellow citizens with one idea all Oregonians can get behind: it's time we put children, not politics, first. We publish two well-known annual data reports--the Report Card on the Status of Children and the County Data Book, as well as regular policy analysis grounded in solid research. Children First's key areas of focus are: children's health care coverage and access; child abuse and neglect prevention and intervention; and family financial stability. For more information visit www.childrenfirstfororegon.org

Children's Action Alliance

Children's Action Alliance (CAA), founded in 1988, is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting the well-being of all of Arizona's children and their families through research, policy development, media campaigns and advocacy. We act as a strong and independent voice for children who cannot speak for themselves. CAA is widely-respected for taking a community leadership role in addressing issues concerning Arizona's child welfare system and the children and families it serves.

CAA opens the doors of opportunity for Arizona's children and families when we:

• Communicate the needs of children. Through research, publications, media campaigns and advocacy, CAA ensures that children's needs are known and met.
• Influence policies and decisions, making our children's best interests our state's priority.
• Demand progress from our leaders and public officials. There is no excuse for Arizona to rank among the lowest in the nation in child well-being.
• Inform the public about the voting records of Arizona elected officials, holding them accountable for their campaign promises to our kids.
• Improve children's lives, by combining policy expertise with the power of strategic communications and advocacy to achieve real results. For more information visit: www.azchildren.org

Children’s Home + Aid of Illinois

Children’s Home + Aid of Illinois is a leading social service agency in Illinois. Each year, it helps about 40,000 children and families overcome overwhelming obstacles such as poverty, abuse, and neglect. Since 1883, Children’s Home + Aid has been a compassionate advocate for the welfare of children and families. Children’s Home + Aid provides more than 70 social service programs focusing on child development, child abuse prevention and strengthening families. For more information visit: www.childrenshomeandaid.org

Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to raising awareness about the tens of thousands of orphans and foster children in the United States and the millions of orphans around the world in need of permanent, safe, and loving homes through adoption; and to eliminating the barriers that hinder these children from realizing their basic right of a family. The Congressional Coalition on Adoption (CCA) was created in 1985 as a bicameral, bipartisan caucus of members of Congress dedicated to improving adoption policy and practice, and to focusing public attention on the advantages of adoption. In 2001, the CCA's active co-chairs created the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) to more effectively raise Congressional and public awareness about the issue of adoption. Senator Larry Craig, Senator Mary Landrieu, Congressman Jim Oberstar, and Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite currently serve as both the co-chairs of the CCA and the Congressional directors of CCAI. For more information visit www.ccainstitute.org.

Foster Care Alumni of America

Foster Care Alumni of America is a national, independent nonprofit organization created and led by alumni of the foster care system. We estimate that, in the United States, there are 12 million alumni -- adults who have spent time in the foster care as children. Our association's mission is to connect the alumni community and to transform policy and practice, ensuring opportunity for people in and from foster care. FCAA's members come from all 50 states and include alumni of care, supportive allies and interested organizations. Chapters are now being formed across the country.

From first hand experience, FCAA members understand the pressing importance of improving the foster care system as a whole, and for each individual child. We support connections and collaboration within the alumni community and with other individuals and organizations by building meaningful and effective partnerships. For more information visit our website, www.fostercarealumni.org.

FosterClub

FosterClub is the national network for young people in foster care. FosterClub's mission is to provide encouragement, motivation, information, education, and benefits for foster youth. At the FosterClub website, kids ask questions and get answers. They discover other successful former foster youth, share opinions about their foster care experience, get recognition for overcoming obstacles, and more. FosterClub's publications give youth tools to help them succeed, and its events give youth an opportunity to get involved and grow. In addition. FosterClub produces outreach tools designed to provide child welfare professionals effective ways to communicate with youth in care. For more information visit www.fosterclub.org.

Fostering Results

Fostering Results is a national, nonpartisan public education project designed to raise awareness of issues facing children in foster care. Commenced in June 2003, the campaign operates at the national level and in select states to highlight the need to address the federal financing mechanisms that favor foster care over other services and options for children and families and to improve court oversight of child welfare cases. Fostering Results engaged key constituencies, including influential national and local leaders, judges, child welfare directors, caseworkers, and advocates for youth and foster, birth and adoptive families to call attention to the financing and court issues at the heart of the foster care system recommendations crafted by the Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care. The initiative is supported by a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts to the Children and Family Research Center at the School of Social Work, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. For more information visit www.fosteringresults.org.

Generations United

Generations United (GU) is the national membership organization focused solely on improving the lives of children, youth, and older people through intergenerational strategies, programs, and public policies. GU represents more than 100 national, state, and local organizations and individuals representing more than 70 million Americans. Since 1986, GU has served as a resource for educating policymakers and the public about the economic, social, and personal imperatives of intergenerational cooperation. GU acts as a catalyst for stimulating collaboration between aging, children, and youth organizations, providing a forum to explore areas of common ground while celebrating the richness of each generation. For more information visit www.gu.org.

Lutheran Services in America

Lutheran Services in America (LSA) creates opportunities with people in thousands of communities throughout the United States and the Caribbean as an alliance of national Lutheran church bodies and their nearly 300 health and human service organizations. Working neighbor to neighbor through services in health care, aging and disability supports, community development, housing, and child and family strengthening, these organizations together touch the lives of one in 50 Americans each year. As part of LSA, the Lutheran Adoption Network (LAN), a collaboration of well-respected Lutheran child welfare agencies, facilitates communication between members, provides education, training and a forum for professional exchange, advocates for adoption issues, and promotes the services of its members. For more information visit www.lutheranservices.org.

National Conference of State Legislatures

Founded in 1975, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the nation's 50 states, its commonwealths and territories. NCSL provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues. NCSL is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of state governments before Congress and federal agencies. For more information visit www.ncsl.org.

National Council For Adoption

The National Council For Adoption (NCFA) has been a champion of adoption since its founding in 1980. NCFA is a research, education, and advocacy organization whose mission is to promote the well-being of children, birthparents, and adoptive families by advocating for the positive option of adoption. Whether as an advocate for state laws that promote sound adoption policy, a resource for federal officials and policymakers about appropriate federal adoption and foster care initiatives and reforms, a diplomat for sound international adoption policy, or a source of adoption facts and education, NCFA is devoted to serving the best interests of children through adoption. For more information visit www.adoptioncouncil.org.

National Foster Care Coalition

The National Foster Care Coalition is a unique partnership of organizations and individuals, dedicated to building public and political will to improve the lives of children, youth, and young adults in and from foster care. Coalition members advocate on behalf of children, youth and families involved with the foster care system, support local, regional, and national foster care initiatives, offer significant levels of training and technical assistance, and provide education and information about foster care to decision makers at the local, state, and federal levels. For more information visit: www.nationalfostercare.org

National Foster Parent Association

The National Foster Parent Association is a national organization that strives to support foster parents and is a consistently strong voice on behalf of all children. The mission of NFPA focuses in the following areas: to bring together foster parents, agency representatives and community people who wish to work together to improve the foster care system and enhance the lives of all children and families; to promote mutual coordination, cooperation and communication among foster parents, Foster Parent Associations, childcare agencies and other child advocates; to encourage the recruitment and retention of foster parents; and, to inform the membership and general public of current issues regarding foster care. For more information visit: www.nfpainc.org

National Indian Child Welfare Association

The National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) was established in 1983 as the Northwest Indian Child Welfare Institute in response to the need for trained Indian child welfare workers. In 1987, it became regional, and in 1994, the organization became national in scope and was renamed the National Indian Child Welfare Association. NICWA has grown from a two-person training project with an initial budget of $60,000 to a successful national organization with comprehensive information exchange, community development, and public policy services to serve tribal programs and communities on services and issues affecting Indian children and families. NICWA defines its primary constituency as tribal governments and urban Indian social service programs that serve Indian children and families and, in particular, the front-line staff people who work with them. In addition, we educate the non-Indian community to be aware of our needs and services. NICWA accomplishes its mission and goals by working with Indian and non-Indian people and organizations that share our vision of strong Indian families and communities. For more information visit www.nicwa.org.

New York State Citizens' Coalition for Children

Incorporated in 1975, the New York State Citizens' Coalition for Children is an advocacy organization of concerned citizens and nearly 140 volunteer adoptive and foster parent groups in every region of New York State. Guided by a belief in the right of every child to a permanent, loving family, the Coalition's goals are to: improve services available to children at risk of or in out of home care; increase citizen involvement in local service planning and delivery; require greater public accountability of the NYS Office of Children and Family Services, other systems providing out of home care for children, and local agencies; and represent the citizen's viewpoint in advocating for improved adoption and foster care services.NYSCCC is concerned primarily with system-change advocacy and individuals taking responsibility for influencing and improving the systems affecting their lives and the lives of their children. For more information please visit: www.nysccc.org

North American Council on Adoptable Children

Since its founding in 1974 by adoptive parents, the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) has been dedicated to the mission that every child deserves a permanent family. Through education, support, parent leadership capacity building, and advocacy, NACAC promotes and supports permanence for children and youth in foster care in the United States and Canada. Some of NACAC's core activities include empowering parents to support one another as they raise children adopted from foster care; working with policymakers, administrators, and grassroots advocates to reform the foster care system and improve outcomes for children and youth; and disseminating information that will help child welfare professionals and adoptive families better support vulnerable children. For more information, visit www.nacac.org.

Prevent Child Abuse America

Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA) was founded in 1972. PCAA is the first organization in the United States whose sole mission is "to prevent the abuse and neglect of our nation's children." It undertakes its mission by affecting change at the governmental and community level on the systems that support the full range of services needed to promote the child development process and provide parents with better conditions be the kind of parents they want to be. Based in Chicago, PCAA has state chapters in 43 states and 413 Healthy Families America (HFA) site in 41 states. Together, approximately 500 staff in the National Office and chapters manages over 353 different locally based strategies to meet the mission of the organization, and an additional 2900 home visitation workers, supervisors and program managers oversee and implement HFA.

Public Children Services Association of Ohio

The Public Children Services Association of Ohio (PCSAO) is a proactive coalition of Public Children Services Agencies that promotes the development of sound public policy and program excellence for safe children, stable families, and supportive communities. This is achieved through advocacy, research, training, consultation, and technical assistance. PCSAO was created in 1980 as a membership organization for Ohio's 88 county child protection agencies with the belief that a collective voice could more effectively influence public policy, share best practices and partner with others that serve children and families. For more information visit www.pcsao.org.

The Sierra Association of Foster Families

The Sierra Association of Foster Families is a non-profit organization comprised of licensed caregivers, agency personnel and other child welfare professionals whose purpose is to ensure licensed foster/adoptive families have the information, tools, resources and support they need to provide safe, quality care to abused, neglected and otherwise dependent children. SAFF is a federally, state and privately funded organization and has been serving families throughout Nevada for more than 35 years. For more information visit www.saffnn.org.

University of Illinois Children and Family Research Center

The Children and Family Research Center (CFRC) is an independent research organization dedicated to keeping children safe, assuring permanent homes for children, and supporting child and family well-being. Created in 1996 by the University of Illinois' School of Social Work and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, our unique university-agency partnership, through research, demonstration and evaluation, advances the safety, family permanence, and well-being of Illinois children. The CFRC forges alliances with other states and universities, public and private agencies, and community and national child welfare organizations to conduct research responsive to the mission and responsibilities of public child welfare systems nationwide. By studying the needs of children and families in their social contexts, monitoring the achievement of child welfare outcomes, evaluating service demonstrations and system reforms, auditing programs to ensure service quality and efficiency, providing training and consultation to advance best practice and disseminating knowledge on research-based practice, CFRC strives to foster a broader, national understanding of child welfare issues, trends, and solutions that stimulate system improvement. For more information visit http://cfrcwww.social.uiuc.edu/

Voice for Adoption

Voice for Adoption (VFA) is a grassroots membership coalition of national, state, and local organizations and individuals that develops and advocates for improved adoption policies to help waiting children in foster care find permanent families. VFA works closely with federal and state legislators, as well as other child welfare organizations, to make a difference in the lives of children who are waiting to be adopted and adoptive families. For more information, visit www.voice-for-adoption.org.

Youth Villages

Youth Villages is a non-profit, comprehensive children’s mental health organization headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. Dedicated to helping emotionally troubled young people and their families live successfully, Youth Villages offers a full range of services including residential treatment, intensive in-home services, treatment foster care, adoption, mentoring, specialized crisis services, an emergency shelter for runaway and homeless teens and a transitional living program that helps young adults who are aging out of the foster care system get a successful start on adulthood. Youth Villages serves more than 11,000 young people annually from  46 locations throughout Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, Alabama, the District of Columbia, North Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts, and most recently Florida. For more information visit www.youthvillages.org.