Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Go, coaches! Using Parents to Recruit Foster Parents in Maine
Today is our quarterly meeting with a very special group of foster parents whom we call “licensing coaches.” They are current Casey foster parents who volunteer to connect with people inquiring about foster care. Often, the licensing coach is the first person a potential foster parent speaks to after they contact us. Here is how it works: you are interested in foster care and go to Casey’s Web site. While there, you complete a form requesting more information on foster care. When you hit submit, the completed form pops up on my computer. We mail you a packet of information on foster care, and email one of our licensing coaches. The coach then contacts you, introduces him or herself, and asks if he or she can answer any questions you may have about being a foster parent. This is a wonderfully enthusiastic group. They have experience with foster care, respite, and adoption. They have experienced heartbreak and great joy in their work as foster parents, and they love to talk about why they continue to foster. I love meeting with them. Their excitement is contagious. They provide a spark and motivation for continuing to recruit families — I want to clone them!
