FAMILIES RISING

See schedule o.public education training and conference -families rising achieved extensive reach through its public education training initiatives, engaging a total of 4,359 individuals through a combination of virtual sessions, in-person training, and keynote presentations. Of this impressive total, 1,858 participants attended conference keynotes or breakout sessions, with additional attendees participating in the organization's own families rising virtual conference (though these numbers are not reflected in the overall count). The organization's expertise was widely sought after in the professional sector, with 47 agencies contracting families rising for virtual or in-person training services. Beyond standard training, 4 agencies utilized the organization's specialized caregiver coaching services, with 2 of these opting for one-time sessions. Additionally, families rising provided valuable consultation services to talbot county, maryland, conducting 2 specialized consultations focused on complex cases involving children with challenging diagnoses.trainings delivered: families rising delivered training across a diverse spectrum of topics, with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (fasd) forming the cornerstone of their educational efforts at 23 sessions. Their popular "big 3: raging, lying & stealing/chaos to calm" curriculum was presented 11 times, while technology safety was addressed in 5 sessions. Birth family connections received attention in 4 sessions, followed by launching adults and school advocacy with 2 sessions each, and shared parenting also with 2 sessions. The organization rounded out their training portfolio with single sessions on specialized topics including holiday survival, grief & loss, eyes of an adoptee, self-care, and parenting adolescents, demonstrating their comprehensive approach to supporting families through targeted educational programs.conference - the families rising annual conference, held virtually in 2024, served 740 adoptive, foster, and kinship parents, child welfare professionals, and others committed to achieving permanence for children in foster care. Participants were able to attend 22 educational sessions focused on effective parenting techniques, supporting children with disabilities and other challenges, recruiting, preparing, and supporting foster, adoptive, and kinship families, and related topics.conference presentations - families rising maintains an active presence at several key in-person conferences to expand its network and showcase its expertise in the adoption and child welfare sectors. The organization participates in the national council for adoption (ncfa), delivers a keynote presentation at gentricon in panama city, florida (with travel expenses covered), and attends both the wisconsin child welfare professional development conference and the re conference in kansas.beyond in person events, families rising extends its reach through virtual conference participation, eliminating geographical barriers while still engaging with important stakeholders. The organization hosts its own families rising virtual conference and participates in the minnesota social service association (mssa) as well as the ocalic conference, which focuses specifically on autism and disabilities.

Quality improvement center on engaging youth in finding permanency -over the reporting period, the coaching team continually monitored the qic-ey coaching training program to identify enhancements in preparation for future adaptations. Adjustments were informed by participant feedback, observed learning needs, and real-time assessments of content delivery. These efforts ensured the program remained responsive and aligned with evolving workforce needs.in collaboration with the evaluation team, the coaching team reviewed and refined pre- and post-training questions to better reflect the intended learning outcomes of each module. This alignment strengthened the assessment process and helped clarify how well participants absorbed key concepts.to maintain relevance and improve effectiveness, the coaching team regularly reviewed the training modules, identifying areas for refinement and adjusting content as needed. These proactive efforts contributed to a training experience that stayed current and impactful.in response to participant demand for more consistent support, the team introduced monthly all-site check-ins in addition to the established monthly and quarterly site-specific sessions. These touchpoints allowed for ongoing documentation of participant progress, immediate feedback, and personalized follow-up support across all cwel sites.despite the evolving nature of the program, there was no need to introduce new tools during this perioddemonstrating the strength and utility of existing resources in meeting the training's learning objectives. The coaching team's continued focus on improvement, collaboration, and responsive support underscored their commitment to a dynamic and effective coaching training program.

Adoption subsidy resource center -in 2024, families rising provided adoption assistance and tax credit information to over 800 people and conducted 15 training sessions with 450 attendees, with more than 400 additional individuals accessing recorded webinars. The organization continues to provide case advocacy and support to prospective adoptive families.success story: families rising's persistent advocacy efforts with the state of indiana have yielded significant improvements to their adoption subsidy program. Following josh's testimony in 2019 and continued collaborative advocacy work, indiana implemented a requirement that subsidies cannot be less than 50% of the foster care rate. Building on this success, between december 2023 and 2024, families rising engaged in productive discussions with state officials about improving the negotiation process, including sharing best practices from other states. As a result, effective july 1, 2024, indiana families no longer need to negotiate subsidy rates, as they are now automatically offered the full foster care rate for which the child would have qualified.

Public policy and advocacy -families rising actively participated in successful legislative advocacy efforts to defeat several bills that would have permitted religious discrimination in foster care and adoption services. The organization also provided letters of support for state advocates pursuing legislation to grant adoptees access to their original birth certificates. As a committed partner in voice for adoptiona coalition of national adoption organizationsfamilies rising continues to educate and lobby congressional members on critical permanency issues affecting children and youth. In minnesota specifically, the organization advocated for enhanced support systems for relative caregivers, more effective recruitment of foster and adoptive parents of color, and championed the african american family preservation act, which was successfully passed into law.