Thrive Iowa: Restore Hope’s Proven Model Expands to 11 Iowa Counties
The child welfare crisis in America was not born from a lack of resources, but rather the lack of communication between them. Children and families in crisis, community support organizations, and government agencies often work in silos, and as a result, kids and parents are often left without crucial services in their time of need. […]
What Works Best in Foster Care According to Experts
Children in foster care do better when they feel safe, known, and connected to people who won’t disappear. But the needs of children and families can get lost beneath acronyms, compliance checklists, and policy jargon far removed from everyday life. So, what works best in foster care? Research consistently points to five key practices: prioritizing […]
The Biggest Barriers to Family Reunification (And How You Can Help)
The primary goal of foster care is almost always to reunite children with their birth families. Many people mistakenly think it depends entirely on the biological parents’ willingness, but in reality, many factors affect the timing and success of reunification. Families frequently face practical, financial, and systemic challenges that delay a child’s return home, even […]
How Community Support Makes Family Reunification Possible
Across the country, thousands of children enter foster care each year, not because of abuse alone, but because of housing instability and poverty. When basic needs like beds, food, or safe housing go unmet, families become vulnerable to separation. However, when communities step in with practical support, families can reunify or even prevent foster care […]
The Impact of Unstable Housing on Children
A child should never have to wonder where they’ll sleep tonight. But for far too many children across our country, housing instability is part of everyday life. Some move from couch to couch with their parents. Some stay in crowded motel rooms. Others change foster homes over and over again, carrying their belongings in trash […]
Faith-Based Foster Care Support: Every Child TN
Churches play a crucial support role in their communities, which means they’re often in the perfect position to help end their local child welfare crisis. While there is still a lot of work to be done in organizing these efforts, many places of worship are learning about the crisis and getting involved. In Tennessee, we […]
Prevent Foster Care: One Mom’s Journey Through the 100 Families Program
Every year, thousands of families in crisis risk separation–not because of abuse or neglect, but because they struggle with one or more of the 13 social determinants of health. Too often, a lack of coordination between local resources keeps families from getting the help they need. That’s where our partner Restore Hope steps in. Through […]
Family Preservation and Reunification with Restore Hope
One of the most effective and crucial ways to end the child welfare crisis is through family preservation and reunification, which is why it’s the first focus of our Well-Being Support Ecosystem™ approach. Over half of the cases involving child removal in 2023 were preventable. Family preservation keeps children from being placed in foster care, […]
Lela’s Story: A Home for the Holidays
“There’s no place like home for the holidays,” sings Perry Como. But what about those who don’t have a home? The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report estimated about 580,000 people were homeless in the United States. Lela, a single mother of two, found herself in that exact situation. After escaping an abusive situation, Lela and […]
