Takeaways from the Annual Foster Village Affiliate Retreat
In June, our staff members Lori and Amy traveled to Foster Village Inc.’s headquarters in Austin, Texas for the annual affiliate retreat, joinging leaders from 13 locations nationwide for a weekend of connection, collaboration and big-picture thinking.
In addition to learning practical tools for strategic planning, development, and communications, Lori and Amy toured Foster Village Austin’s Resource Center, a home-like hub that embodies their approach to wraparound care.
The space includes a sensory gym for kids, on-site support groups, one-on-one family support, and a welcoming area where caregivers can “shop” for themselves when building a Welcome Pack. Seeing this model in action helped solidify a future goal for our team here in Northeast Kansas.
"One day, we hope to establish a dedicated and home-like hub of our own where families can gather and create more ways for volunteers and community members to get involved,” Lori says.
The retreat also included deep dives into national foster care trends. A few takeaways that stood out:
- Fewer children are entering care, but those who do often face more intense needs due to crisis escalation.
- Racial disparities persist, with Black, Indigenous, and other children of color overrepresented in the system.
- Mental health challenges are increasing, yet youth-specific trauma-informed services remain limited and hard to access.
We intend to carry these insights forward in the days and months ahead.