Young people + birth parents + relative caregivers

= working together to drive change in foster care.


We are the constituents of the child welfare system. Our campaign is dedicated to ensuring the voices of those with first-hand experience are heard. 

Join the movement!

If you believe the voices of youth, birth parents, and relative caregivers must inform child welfare policies, join us! You'll receive updates about Family Voices United, including regular opportunities to share your perspective.
Organization/Advocate

Share Your Perspective: Supporting young people and families involved in juvenile justice and child welfare

Family Voices United wants to hear from YOU! If you are a current or former foster youth, parent or relative/kinship caregiver - share your voice - and you could... (Read more)

Published Feb 26, 2020

Organization/Advocate

Share Your Perspective: Parent Partners

Family Voices United wants to hear from YOU! If you are a foster youth or alumni, parent or relative/kinship caregiver - share your voice - and you could win... (Read more)

Published Feb 6, 2020

Birth Parent, Youth/Alumni, Kinship Caregiver

Podcast: Family Voices on Constituent Engagement

Listen as Family Voices United members share best practices in constituent engagement. Learn how constituents are taking action, getting involved, and building the movement! Click here to listen! Podcast Features:... (Read more)

Published Jan 5, 2020

image shows cluster of microphones and text reads Family Voices United Podcast
Birth Parent, Youth/Alumni, Kinship Caregiver

Podcast: Family Voices on Strengthening Families & Keeping Kids out of Foster Care

Listen as Family Voices United members share perspectives on strengthening families and opportunities with prevention support to keep kids out of foster care. Learn how constituents are taking action, getting... (Read more)

Published Jan 3, 2020

Birth Parent, Youth/Alumni, Kinship Caregiver, Organization/Advocate

Podcast: Family Voices on Legal Representation for Families

Listen as Family Voices United members share how legal representation can make a difference for families. Learn how constituents are taking action, getting involved, and building the movement! Click here... (Read more)

Published Nov 11, 2019

Birth Parent, Youth/Alumni, Kinship Caregiver

Podcast: Family Voices on Supporting Kinship Families

Listen as Family Voices United members share how support can make a difference for kinship families. Learn how constituents are taking action, getting involved, and building the movement! Click here... (Read more)

Published Oct 30, 2019

Birth Parent, Youth/Alumni, Kinship Caregiver, Foster Parent, Adoptive Parent, Organization/Advocate

Administration Issues Memo Regarding Constituent Voice

The Administration for Children Youth and Families recently issued an Information Memorandum (IM) to demonstrate that family and youth voice are critical to a well-functioning child welfare system. According to... (Read more)

Published Oct 7, 2019

Organization/Advocate

Share Your Perspective through the Family Voices United Campaign!

Family Voices United wants to hear from YOU! If you are a foster youth or alumni, parent or relative/kinship caregiver - share your voice - and you could win... (Read more)

Published Sep 19, 2019

Kinship Caregiver

Ohio Grandparent Advocates for Fellow Grandparents

Brenda Ryan, resident of Summit County Ohio, is advocating for grandparents raising grandchildren - particularly those affected by the opioid crises. She has started Keys to Success - an event... (Read more)

Published Aug 12, 2019

Organization/Advocate

Share your perspective through the Family Voices United campaign!

Family Voices United wants to hear from YOU! If you are a foster youth or alumni, parent or relative/kinship caregiver - share your voice - and you could win... (Read more)

Published Jul 31, 2019

Title Constituent Role Topic Location Published
Share Your Perspective: Supporting young people and families involved in juvenile justice and child welfare Organization/Advocate Older Youth
National
Tribal
02/26/20
Share Your Perspective: Parent Partners Organization/Advocate
National
Tribal
02/06/20
Podcast: Family Voices on Constituent Engagement Birth Parent, Youth/Alumni, Kinship Caregiver
National
Tribal
Arizona
Texas
01/05/20
Podcast: Family Voices on Strengthening Families & Keeping Kids out of Foster Care Birth Parent, Youth/Alumni, Kinship Caregiver Kinship, Mental Health, Older Youth, Prevention
National
New York
Pennsylvania
01/03/20
Podcast: Family Voices on Legal Representation for Families Birth Parent, Youth/Alumni, Kinship Caregiver, Organization/Advocate Kinship, Older Youth, Prevention
National
11/11/19
Podcast: Family Voices on Supporting Kinship Families Birth Parent, Youth/Alumni, Kinship Caregiver Kinship
National
Tribal
10/30/19
Administration Issues Memo Regarding Constituent Voice Birth Parent, Youth/Alumni, Kinship Caregiver, Foster Parent, Adoptive Parent, Organization/Advocate
National
10/07/19
Share Your Perspective through the Family Voices United Campaign! Organization/Advocate Congregate Care
National
09/19/19
Ohio Grandparent Advocates for Fellow Grandparents Kinship Caregiver Kinship
Ohio
08/12/19
Share your perspective through the Family Voices United campaign! Organization/Advocate Prevention
National
07/31/19
Family Voices United - A Podcast on Mental Health Supports Birth Parent, Youth/Alumni, Kinship Caregiver Mental Health
National
06/26/19
Family Voices on Mental Health Supports Birth Parent, Youth/Alumni, Kinship Caregiver Mental Health
National
06/26/19
Share your perspective through the Family Voices United campaign! Organization/Advocate Prevention
National
05/28/19
Join us for a Podcast Production on Mental Health Supports May 29th at 5pm (ET) Organization/Advocate Mental Health
National
05/24/19
From being served by the system to influencing it: Rynn Bell helps human services agencies reshape how they provide services Birth Parent Pregnant & Parenting Youth
Colorado
05/16/19
"...The more support relative caregivers receive, the more likely relatives will step up to care for their family members. This will help to lower the number of foster homes needed and decrease the number of children in foster care..." Youth/Alumni Kinship
Washington
05/07/19
"...Apply wrap-around care that coordinates efforts from one location for all available services and resources with attention given to specific needs and circumstances..." Birth Parent Kinship
South Carolina
04/30/19
"...Be willing to go above and beyond your duties to assist caregivers goes a long way - helping them fill out applications and connecting them directly to a resource rather than just handing them a pamphlet helps to make referrals successful..." Organization/Advocate Kinship
Utah
04/29/19
Family Voices United wants to hear from YOU! Organization/Advocate 04/15/19
"As a grandmother raising a baby, I wanted to connect with other relative caregivers in similar situations. There wasn't a resource, so I started the local Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Group." Kinship Caregiver Kinship 04/12/19
"...I would have liked them to go through a training to understand their role for me and understand the trauma I was still experiencing, instead of them telling me I should be grateful to be with them instead of a "random family"..." Youth/Alumni Kinship 04/10/19
Family Voices United member, Tecoria Jones, spoke at South Carolina's Kinship Day at the Capitol Kinship Caregiver Kinship
South Carolina
04/10/19
"...A contact person for every family - to answer the caregivers' questions about how to navigate the system and be able to share what services are and aren't available..." Kinship Caregiver Kinship
Alaska
04/10/19
"I would like to see more opportunities for kinship and foster families (parents and kids) to connect. It's most helpful to learn about resources from peers that have been through it." Kinship Caregiver Kinship
Kansas
03/30/19
Colorado engages constituents in Family First Prevention Services Act planning! Organization/Advocate Kinship, Older Youth
Colorado
03/15/19
Family Voices United wants to hear from YOU! Organization/Advocate Kinship
National
03/08/19
"...It just seemed to me that legislators might want to hear the voice of someone who’s impacted by a bill that’s on the table..." Youth/Alumni Older Youth
Louisiana
02/25/19
Share your perspective through the Family Voices United campaign! Organization/Advocate Prevention
National
02/15/19
Kinship grandparent shares her experience with mental health supports and navigating the system Kinship Caregiver Kinship, Mental Health
Pennsylvania
02/15/19
"...I cannot help but think that if she had access to mental health treatment, she might not have relapsed and died at age 22 almost one year clean, leaving behind her 9-month-old daughter." Kinship Caregiver Mental Health
Pennsylvania
01/30/19
"...Growing up, I knew my mom had some challenges. I firmly believe mental health services would have helped my mom and helped me figure out how to support her..." Youth/Alumni Mental Health
Pennsylvania
01/29/19
"...I wish I would have felt supported to address *all* of the major barriers and needs to quality parenting during the life of my case. Instead, I reacted with fear and stigma..." Birth Parent Mental Health
Ohio
01/25/19
"As a parent who is a trauma survivor — knowing what's available could have led to receiving help for trauma and mental health issues. Understanding helps families heal." Birth Parent
Ohio
01/24/19
"...Having access to support groups and information through groups like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) helped our family understand the illness..." Kinship Caregiver, Organization/Advocate Mental Health
Ohio
01/22/19
"...While my mother was given services for substance abuse, housing, and employment, she did not receive any or adequate mental health services. I truly believe if she had mental health support/services I would have been reunified with her." Youth/Alumni Mental Health
Ohio
01/22/19
"...My parents didn't have support to access or understand how necessary mental health services were for them to keep their children..." Youth/Alumni Mental Health
Pennsylvania
01/17/19
"The services in place weren't addressing my issue specifically. Things I said in confidence were repeated in family therapy, which made things worse. I felt like I had no one." Youth/Alumni Mental Health
Nebraska
01/14/19
"Mental health services could have created stability, a safer living environment, and most importantly, I wouldn’t have ended in the foster system." Youth/Alumni Mental Health
California
01/10/19
"Behavioral health services could have helped my mother... No one told her that her decision could impact our family for the rest of our lives... If someone had, I believe my family’s story would be different." Youth/Alumni Mental Health
California
01/07/19
"I’ve gone through 15 years of abuse and actually talking to people that care to listen really helped me feel like I wasn’t alone. Everywhere I looked I saw everyone that supported me through my journey." Youth/Alumni Mental Health
California
01/04/19
Share your perspective through the Family Voices United campaign! Organization/Advocate Mental Health
National
11/14/18
Ohio's Kinship Day at the Capitol: GrandRally Giving Voice to Kinship Families Organization/Advocate Kinship
Ohio
11/13/18

QUESTION OF THE MONTH:

Sometimes young people are involved in BOTH the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. How can those young people and their families be best supported?

*Submit by Mar 16 for a chance to win $50!

If you are a current or former foster youth, a birth parent, a kinship or relative caregiver, or a foster or adoptive parent, share your perspective with the Family Voices United... Your story could be featured on the Campaign!

Share your voice

Help Spread the Word!

Know a youth or alumni of foster care who would want to get involved? How about a birth parent or relative caregiver that is interested in advocacy? Download and share the Family Voices United recruitment flyer.

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