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Adopt a resolution recognizing the month of May 2025 as Foster Care Awareness Month in Solano County
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No __X_
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No __X_
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of Health and Social Services recommends the Board of Supervisors adopt a resolution recognizing the month of May 2025 as Foster Care Awareness Month in Solano County.
SUMMARY:
Since 1988, the month of May has been designated nationally to recognize foster care providers (referred to as Resource Families in the State of California) and their dedication to caring for children during their most traumatic days. Since that time, the focus has shifted to prevention and care by promoting well-being and resources that are offered through community involvement, targeted support services and collaborative relations that keep foster children cared for and safe.
Recognition of Foster Care Awareness Month is an opportunity to highlight the importance of permanent, loving homes for children in the foster care system and to acknowledge the dedication of foster parents, caregivers and other professionals.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The costs of preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the department’s FY2024/25 Working Budget. The costs associated with preparation of the resolution are included in the Board’s FY2024/25 Working Budget.
DISCUSSION:
According to the California Child Welfare Indicators Project, as of January 2025, there are 38,894 children and youth in foster care in the State of California. As of February 2025, Solano County Child Welfare Services (CWS) served 324 youth in foster care.
Foster care is a temporary, court-monitored service provided to promote the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and youth. Foster caregivers typically undergo licensing and training to be well-equipped to provide children and youth with shelter, support and care. In California, the licensing process is called Resource Family Approval (RFA) and involves careful assessment and training to families, both relative and non-relative, to help foster parents meet the needs of children who have undergone trauma.
Resource Families play a critical role in the life of children in out of home care. When out-of-home placement is needed to keep the child safe, CWS makes diligent efforts to identify, consider and evaluate, relatives, family friends and those closely tied to the family as the primary placement option. When relatives cannot be a placement option for the child, CWS actively recruits and supports Resource Families that are able to keep the child or youth connected to their community and culture. The purpose of a Resource Family is to provide a child with a feeling of safety, permanence, and well-being.
The preferred foster care setting is placing a foster child with relatives, also known as kinship care. Solano County Child Welfare Services strives to be a “kin-first” culture that prioritizes preserving family connections and placing children with relatives or kin whenever possible. Maintaining relationships with relatives and kin can increase stability, reduce trauma, and help children maintain a sense of family, belonging, and identity. When kinship foster care is not an option, children and youth may live with non-relative caregivers.
As of March 2025, there are 194 approved Resource Homes, of which 105 are relatives and fictive kin. Data from the California Child Welfare Indicators Project shows that between October 2023 and September 2024, 30.8% of first foster care placements were with relatives.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may choose not to approve the resolution. This is not recommended because it is an opportunity for the Board to recognize the importance of raising the public’s awareness of foster care and to recognize the contribution of Resource Families in caring for Solano County’s most vulnerable children.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION