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WE NEED YOUR HELP! Act now to ensure the House Budget includes necessary support for children in out-of-home placements and the families who care for them.

On Monday April 25th, the House will begin debating amendments for inclusion in the final House budget proposal for FY 2023. MAFF has requested amendments to fund two key initiatives that are critical to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of foster children, and to promoting foster parent recruitment and retention.

Your voice can make a difference!

Contacting your State Representative is effective, easy, and takes less than two minutes. Please use the form on the right to get started.

We need your support to ensure the initiatives below are funded.

Funding Behavioral Health Partners Program
Last year, MSPCC’s Kids’ Net Program launched a grant funded Behavioral Health (BH) Partners Program. The BH Partners are experienced foster parents who receive specialized training and clinical supervision. With the goal of preserving placement stability, the BH Partners provide coaching, consultation, and facilitate access to resources to assist foster parents in meeting the behavioral health needs of foster children. Because waits for mental health services are often long, a particular focus of BH Partners is working with families to avert an emerging crisis and to provide bridge supports when a child is awaiting clinical services. We have seen the successes of this program in supporting foster families across the state, and we need your help to ensure we can continue to serve families in need.

Support for the Massachusetts Alliance For Families (MAFF)
MAFF is the statewide association of foster, kinship, adoptive, and guardianship (FKAG) parents. MAFF Representatives work to promote community engagement, connect FKAG families to local resources, support families in times of crisis, and break the isolation our families routinely feel. Additionally, MAFF is frequently called upon to represent FKAG voices in state level meetings, act as advisors to promising initiatives, and serve on coalitions. MAFF Representatives bring invaluable knowledge and lived experience to the table while most often remaining the only group of people in the room not compensated for their time, effort, and expertise. Increasing MAFF resources to provide reimbursement for their work will ensure that, for the first time, FKAG families truly have an equal seat at the table.

To learn more about the Massachusetts Alliance for Families’ (MAFF) advocacy efforts, please visit our website at www.mspcc.org/maff

We just need few pieces of information to connect you with your legislators. We will never share your information. Ever.

TIPS FOR FOSTER, KINSHIP, AND ADOPTIVE CAREGIVERS

The best advocacy tool is your experience.

Your legislators want to hear from you about how you are doing, what you need, and how they can help your family thrive.

To make this an easy process, we have drafted an email for you to send to your legislators in less than 2 minutes by inputting your contact information and clicking send.

Please, take an extra moment to personalize the first paragraph to make an even stronger connection.

Consider including the following:

How long you have been a foster/adoptive parent
The number of kids in your home and whether they are foster, pre-adoptive, adopted, kinship or biological.
A bit about your kids’ strengths and needs and how they relate to the priorities stated below.

First Name*

Last Name*

Email Address*

Address, line 1*

City*

State*

Zip Code*

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Thank you for taking action! Your voice makes a difference!

Reps for 2021-2022

Subject: Prioritize the Wellbeing of Foster Children in the FY23 House Budget

Message:

I am writing to urge you to prioritize the mental health and wellbeing of foster children and the adults who care for them in the FY23 budget by supporting the following two amendments. Amendment #828: Kids Net Behavioral Health Partners Program Line Item: #4800-0038 Request: $400,000 Lead: Rep. Garballey The Kids’ Net Program Behavioral Health (BH) Partners are experienced foster parents who receive specialized training and clinical supervision. With the goal of preserving placement stability, the BH Partners provide coaching, consultation, and facilitate access to resources to assist foster parents in meeting the behavioral health needs of foster children. Because waits for mental health services are often long, a particular focus of BH Partners is working with families to avert an emerging crisis and to provide bridge supports when a child is awaiting clinical services. The behavioral health needs of foster children have skyrocketed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Kid’s Net BH Partners program is providing critical support to foster families across the Commonwealth. The program is currently funded with one-time grant monies and state dollars are needed to ensure that it continues. Amendment #659: Supporting Foster Families Line Item: #4400-1000 Request: $50,000 Lead: Rep. Farley-Bouvier MAFF is the statewide association of foster, kinship, adoptive, and guardianship (FKAG) parents. MAFF Representatives work to promote community engagement, connect FKAG families to local resources, and ensure that supports are available when it is needed. MAFF is frequently called upon to represent FKAG voices in state level meetings, act as advisors to promising initiatives, and serve on coalitions. MAFF Representatives bring invaluable knowledge and lived experience to the table while most often remaining the only group of people in the room not compensated for their time, effort, and expertise. Increasing MAFF resources to provide reimbursement for their work will promote foster parent recruitment and retention, and ensure that, for the first time, FKAG families truly have an equal seat at the table. I am counting on you to support the health and wellbeing of the Commonwealth’s children and the families who care for them. Thank you for your support.

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WE NEED YOUR HELP! Act now to ensure the House Budget includes necessary support for children in out-of-home placements and the families who care for them.

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