May 2023Vol. 24, No. 4May Is National Foster Care Month

Every May, the Children's Bureau, together with Child Welfare Information Gateway and other partner organizations, promotes National Foster Care Month (NFCM) to raise awareness about the key roles everyone can play in the lives of children and youth in foster care. This year's NFCM theme—"Strengthening Minds. Uplifting Families.”—highlights the importance of taking a holistic and culturally responsive approach to supporting the mental health needs of children and youth in foster care and their caregivers. The NFCM 2023 website offers an array of resources and tools that support this year’s theme, including the following:

• Inspiring real-life stories from the perspectives of children, youth, and families, which can be used as tools to highlight the role each of us has in enhancing the lives of children and youth in foster care
• Key facts and statistics about the current state of children's and youth’s mental health
• A resource section that includes best practices, programs, organizations, publications, and more on supporting youth mental health and Children’s Bureau-funded projects
• A section on raising awareness that includes this year's Outreach Toolkit, which includes the materials agencies and systems need to plan local efforts to raise awareness about NFCM and the importance of supporting the mental health needs of children and families
• A collection of graphics, sample social media posts, and an email signature and sample messaging that can be included in outreach efforts

Explore the NFCM 2023 website for more information.