CALIFORNIA ALLIANCE OF CAREGIVERS INC
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Mission Statement
California Alliance of Caregivers represents the voice of foster, kinship, guardian and adoptive parents to promote the well-being of children in foster care.
About This Cause
California Alliance of Caregivers (CAC) was founded in May, 2016 by a group of foster parents and foster care advocates to fill the void of a foster parent voice in Sacramento to participate in statewide child welfare program improvement and development. California is in the midst of the greatest child welfare reform in a generation. Because congregate care is not good for children, the state is depending on foster families (now "resource parents") to provide high quality homes for abused and neglected children, probation youth, and transition-age youth. These children have experienced trauma that will affect them for the rest of their lives if it is not addressed properly in their foster home. Children need services and support to heal and thrive. Foster families are the primary intervention in their lives. Their voice is necessary for system-wide improvement. California Alliance of Caregivers gathers the voice of foster parents through: (1) Resource Family Policy Summits (2) California Alliance of Caregivers Ambassadors Coalition (3) Caregiver Day at the Capitol (4) Parent & Caregiver Statewide Leadership Forum (5) Support Groups, and (6) Surveys and Focus Groups. California Alliance of Caregivers shares the voice of foster parents in stakeholder meetings with County Welfare Agencies, the California Department of Social Services, the California Legislature, child welfare advocates, dependency attorneys, the California Judicial Council, community-based organizations, the California Department of Education, and community members. California Alliance of Caregivers has the following programs: (1) Caregiver Day at the Capitol (2) California Alliance of Caregivers Ambassadors Coalition (3) Parents & Caregivers for Wellness (4) Coffee with Caregivers (5) Resource Parent Family Resource Center. All California Alliance of Caregivers' services, events and resources are free to foster, kinship, adoptive, guardian families who support children in or from foster care. Children who are in or have experienced foster care are the most vulnerable population and are at high risk for many negative life outcomes. These include homelessness, joblessness, substance abuse, sexual exploitation, poverty, child removal, poor mental health, poor physical health, and more. High quality foster care is an intervention to improve outcomes for children and youth. There is a gap between what the state currently provides to children and families and what children need to heal and thrive. CAC seeks to close this gap through education, advocacy, and system-change. Some of our greatest achievements to date include: (1) Collaborating to pass the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program (2) Collaborating to change policy so that kinship parents receive funding when placed with relatives (3) Creating California's first statewide Caregiver Policy Agenda (brief) (4) 6 Caregiver Day at the Capitol events (5) Collaborating to pass the Family Urgent Response System (6) Caregiver Pandemic Stipend (7) Statewide Resource Family Handbook (7) Providing Textured Hair Care training and products to 600+ families (8) Family Resource Center Serving 5000 caregivers 2021-2022. California Alliance of Caregivers' input has been used in the proposed, permanent Foster Care Rate Structure for California. This investment is a once in a lifetime opportunity to truly serve foster youth in family home settings in their community. This massive effort needs the voice of caregivers and youth who support this incredible investment into truly serving foster youth. Without stakeholder input and approval, this effort would not have passed and will not be able to be implemented effectively. California Alliance of Caregivers currently offers the only statewide training for Textured Hair Care. It is incredibly important that Black and bi-racial youth have culturally appropriate hair and skin care. It affects their self-esteem, and ability to fit in with their peers. Caregivers, including relatives, need support to care for their youth so that their hair (and self-esteem) are not permanently damaged.