Based on the needs assessment, county teams identified and are implementing the following four priority strategies aimed at supporting families so that they can continue fostering children in DFCS care.
- Establishing foster parent liaisons to link foster parents to each other and to community resources and to facilitate positive communication between foster parents and caseworkers and foster parents and community stakeholders;
- Providing foster parent mentors designed for and by foster parents;
- Identifying natural helpers as informal supports selected by foster parents; and
- Improving communication through a variety of activities to keep foster parents, partners and staff informed and connected and to promote positive relationships.