Portland, Maine high school senior Ashley Keiran is an expert in something she feels Portland teachers should know more about—how hard it can be to meet the expectations of school while homeless or dealing with the uncertainties of foster care. So Keiran, with help from a youth development grant and an adult mentor, is working on a lesson plan.

National Foster Care Month in May provides an opportunity for people all across the nation to get involved, whether as foster parents, volunteers, mentors, employers or in other ways. It is also an opportunity to show our appreciation for the dedication of the foster families who care for these children and youth and the social workers who support them.

In 1960s and 1970s, American Indian children were roughly six times more likely to be placed in foster care than other children, and were often placed in non-American Indian homes or institutions. The 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) was designed to protect American Indian families and give tribes a role in making child welfare decisions. An April 2005 Government Accountability Office survey of four states found no consistent pattern in how long children subject to ICWA remained in foster care—but did find that in 2003, these children were somewhat less likely to be reunified or adopted when leaving care and somewhat more likely to leave through a guardianship arrangement. The GAO recommends the use of ICWA compliance information available to target assistance to states.

To promote growth in the community through comprehensive marketing and educational programs. To enhance the abilities of youths through mentoring, tutoring, money management are just a few avenues we will incorporate to accomplish these goals.

This organization provides information and resources to grandparents and other relative caregivers who are raising their grandchildren, their nieces or nephews either by court order or voluntarily.

As a coalition of national partners, we believe that supporting the positive development of children, youth, and families is the collective responsibility of the community. National Foster Care Coalition partners are committed to helping build communities where:

Concept 1 Academies provides independent living skills, workforce development skills training and computer/academic skills training in a residential setting to prepare older foster care teens for successful transition into independence. Preparing tomorrow's leaders, today!

The Boys' Home Association provides the full realm of foster care services for children and their families. The Boys' Home Association began in 1914 as a shelter for homeless boys and is now a nationally accredited foster care agency providing comprehensive family foster care, group care, therapeutic and case management services to boys and girls of all ages, raes and cultures. The Boys' Home A