Diligent Recruitment Data Report on Foster Home Recruitment in Illinois
- Foster Care
- February 27, 2024
The Let It Be Us Diligent Recruitment Data Report on Foster Home Recruitment for the month of January, 2024 is out and our team is pleased that our marketing is delivering the types of individual foster homes that we need to successfully recruit foster homes for the following types of foster care:
- Traditional Foster Care
- Specialized Foster Care
- Emergency Foster Care
- Therapeutic Foster Care
At Let It Be Us we are currently focused on all types of foster care, especially Emergency Foster Care and foster homes for our new Group Home Step Down Initiative. There is a growing recognition of the significance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in child welfare, and that this awareness is contributing to the spotlight on diligent recruitment. The combination of this awareness with the impact of legislation like the Families First Preservation Services Act underscores the critical need for focused efforts in child welfare, particularly in achieving permanency within foster care.
The concise definition of diligent recruitment, as provided by the Child Welfare Information Gateway, serves as a clear and accessible explanation of this essential process: The systematic approach of recruiting, retaining, and supporting foster and adoptive families that reflect the ethnic diversity of children awaiting placements is indeed a cornerstone in ensuring the well-being and stability of these children.
Furthermore, your extension of the definition to encompass the diverse special needs of children awaiting placements, ranging from medical complexities, to behavioral needs, to mental health care needs, to learning disabilities, underscores the importance of finding families that are equipped to provide the specific care and support that each child requires.
Of the foster parents we recruited in January of 2024, racial demographics were recorded as follows:
- 36% were Black
- 45% were White
- 18% were Other
- 0% were Hispanic/Latino
Of the foster parents we recruited in January of 2024, parenting experience was recorded as follows:
- 45% have developmental special needs experience
- 45% have emotional and behavioral needs experience
- 27% have medical special needs experience
- 10% have CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) experience
Of the foster parents we recruited in January of 2024, parent professions were recorded as follows:
- 18% are educational support professionals
- 18% are social workers
- 36% are medical professionals
- 18% are stay-at-home parents
The next Diligent Recruitment Data Report will cover the 1st Quarter of 2024 and will be out in April, 2024.
The Let It Be Us Foster Home Recruitment Program is managed by Cathy Newbury, Director of Foster Home Recruitment. She may be reached at cathynewbury@letitbeus.org. For agencies interested in contracting with Let It Be Us to help manage foster home recruitment please contact Susan McConnell, Executive Director, at susanmcconnell@letitbeus.org.
References used for this article:
Child Welfare Information Gateway
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