Volume LI | April 16, 2025 | | The Good Stuff in Child Welfare | | |
Welcome to The Good Stuff in Child Welfare!
At the Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice, & Research, we acknowledge the often heart-wrenching and distressing narratives that dominate the child welfare landscape, leaving us deeply moved and impassioned. However, amidst these challenging stories, there exists a wealth of inspiring achievements and uplifting initiatives occurring nationwide at every level of practice. To highlight and celebrate these positive developments, we are delighted to present this monthly newsletter, dedicated exclusively to showcasing “The Good Stuff” within the expansive field of child welfare. This month, we include ideas for innovative youth and family support, with a special focus on prom season. We hope this read gives you a few moments of hopefulness and a sense of possibility.
If there's something you'd like to see here, shoot us an email. Know someone who could use a little Good Stuff in Child Welfare? Send them a copy! We hope you love it as much as we do.
| | Helping Teens in Foster Care Prep for Prom | |
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Los Angeles recently hosted a special event at the LA Convention Center to ensure that older youth in foster care have the necessary support they need to prepare for prom. Attended by hundreds of teens, the event allowed youth to choose dresses, suits, and accessories for prom night, as well as learn how to do their hair and makeup for the day-of. Madison Rucker, a teen that has been in foster care since 13-years-old, shared that she is “very excited and grateful for the experience,” noting how her CASA advocate has played a pivotal role in her life.
Link to Full Article
| | Central Missouri Foster Care Association Launches Traveling Trunk to Aid Rural Families | |
The Central Missouri Foster Care and Adoption Association is aiming to support foster families across Mid-Missouri through its new traveling trunk, a mobile clothing closet. Although the organization already has physical trunks in multiple locations, the traveling trunk will allow them to expand outreach to rural families across 24 counties. This expansion of their program came from a 2024 Community Needs Assessment where 31% of respondents voiced their need for a clothing closet. Chief Executive Officer, Jill Quaid, said “Transportation is a problem, so we’re going to them; we will meet them where they are.”
Link to Full Article
| | Foreign Exchange Student Inspires Marshalltown Students to Support Foster Kids | |
Anamaria Phkhaladce is an exchange student at Marshalltown High School in Iowa from Georgia, an Eastern European country. She recently started a service project to make care packages for children in foster care, as she wanted to give back to the warm, welcoming community. Each care package has snacks, coloring books, toys, and hand-written cards from students at a local Elementary School. She teaches the students about perseverance through the service project, and they decorate and write cards for other children in care. “I wrote ‘you are important,'” said fourth-grade student Sky McCulley. “I think it’s really important to like show and remind kids that they’re loved, they’re valued, and cared, and that’s the reason why I chose to do that,” said Anamaria. She created around 100 packages, which were sent out by April 1st.
Link to Full Article
| | LA County Program Cuts Former Foster Child's Rent to $65 a Month | | |
A Los Angeles County program is offering incentives to landlords to help youth formerly in foster care secure stable housing. The LA housing crisis, exacerbated by recent wildfires, has made it even more challenging for vulnerable populations—especially those aging out of foster care—to find a home. Through the Los Angeles County Development Authority’s Homeless Initiative Program, landlords are encouraged to accept Section 8 vouchers with added benefits such as one month’s free rent and sign-on bonuses. Last year, the program helped secure leases for 60 youth formerly in care. Currently, 30,000 housing units are participating in the Housing Choice Program.
Link to Full Article
| | The Florida Youth SHINE Advocacy Group is Back, Lobbying for More Foster Care Reforms | |
Youth formerly in foster care in advocacy group Florida Youth SHINE are leading the charge to improve the foster care system for those still in care. Each year, they travel to Tallahassee to lobby lawmakers, using their firsthand experiences to push for meaningful change. This year, they’re championing two critical bills: one to ensure siblings in and out of foster care can stay connected and another to expand housing vouchers for former foster youth statewide. With around 350 members across 11 chapters, Youth SHINE has been a driving force in reforming Florida’s child welfare system since 2005—because no child should navigate foster care alone.
Link to Full Article
| | Prom Extravaganza: Supporting Foster Youth for a Memorable High School Moment | | |
Led by San Bernardino County Children and Family Services and organized by the Independent Living Program, the annual Prom Extravaganza celebrated and supported older youth in care as they prepared for one of high school’s most memorable milestones—prom night. Through partnerships with local beauticians and barbers, attendees received professional services to help them look and feel their best. In addition to the glam, the event included an engaging, interactive workshop that focused on building confidence through practical social and life skills. While everyone was gathered, representatives from educational organizations were also there to share valuable resources and offer guidance on academic opportunities, career pathways, and future planning. To close the event, each youth received a gift card to Burlington or Windsor helping them secure the final touches for their prom look.
Link to Full Article
| | Better Together Receives Donation From Lee County Bar Association Foundation | |
Better Together, a nonprofit based in Lee County, Florida, has received a generous $1,000 donation from the Lee County Bar Association Foundation. The contribution will directly support Better Families, an initiative focused on prevention efforts aimed at keeping families together and reducing the need for foster care involvement. Through resources such as job opportunities, community support, mentoring, and short-term childcare, Better Families empowers parents to overcome challenges. This donation helps strengthen those vital services and offers families the support they need to thrive.
Link to Full Article
| | The Field Center team would like to thank the staff and students who brought this newsletter together. Specifically, we recognize our Spring 2025 students Hannah Bennett, Liya Cha, Kate Greco, and Sabrina Vargas for their contributions in providing readers with this uplifting content. Many thanks to our Associate Director Sarah Wasch for editing and our Administrative Coordinator Felicia Saunders for handling design and distribution. Special thanks to our Managing Faculty Director, Dr. Johanna Greeson for her idea to curate the “good news stories” happening in child welfare! | | | | |
