You don’t have to be a Foster Parent or relative caregiver to benefit from the ACFPA offerings. Many foster families choose to adopt the children in their care, thereby growing their families and providing the kids with a safe and loving Forever Home. If you are a foster family who has adopted your children through Alameda County, ACFPA can still support you, even if you no longer have capacity to foster.

Although adoption can be a wonderful experience, it can also present some challenges for the entire family. The addition of a new child or children to the family may create confusion or discontent for the biological children who suddenly have a new sibling that they have to get to know and play nice with. Kids in care may have physical or behavioral issues that may not show up until they are older. Also, navigating relationships with biological families, if they are still involved in the child’s life, can be challenging at times.

If you are dealing with any of these challenges, you don’t have to go it alone. The ACFPA has a number of programs that can support you both financially and emotionally. As an ACFPA member you will benefit from the following member-only offerings:

• Clothing Closet: Our Clothing Closet was the brainchild of our Fundraising Chair, Joyce Ryder, who had a vision of providing new clothing items to foster families especially at the beginning of each new placement. Because of our generous donors, the closet is now often full of new clothes, shoes and other items for younger and older kids. This allows us to periodically open the closet to all of our members, not just for their new placements but also for existing placements or adopted and biological children in the home.  
• Diaper Distribution: We have been receiving generous donations towards our Diaper Distribution program allowing us to make diapers available for new placements and periodically for existing placements as supplies are available.
• Periodic free distribution of donated items like new bikes, clothes, backpacks and school supplies, bags of goodies and gift cards.
• Scholarships: We have multiple scholarship types that are available for foster, adopted and biological children and youth in care. They can be used to supplement the cost of tutoring, exam preparation courses, enrichment activities like camps, and dance and music lessons. Our newest scholarship, the Achievement Scholarship, is available for young adults through 22 years of age who were in the ACFPA member’s care at some time in the past and need support to achieve their highest level of independence. This scholarship can supplement the cost of tools for trade school, uniforms or college application fees.
• Free tickets to events such as shows, sports games, theatre, as they become available.

Of course, you don’t have to be an ACFPA member to take advantage of the camaraderie that the Association offers. Our monthly meetings allow for sharing of concerns and ideas. We always have someone from the County present at the meetings to answer questions about County services and some of our members have started their own Facebook page to network and stay connected. We also offer training during many of our monthly meetings to help you continue to learn and grow.

Finally, we are always looking for volunteers to help with committees, website updates, events and to share ideas for how to improve our programs.

So, whether you are a foster parent, relative or non-relative caregiver or adoptive family, consider joining the ACFPA. Membership applications are being accepted now for 2021.

Thank you for all you do for the kids.