Foster Care Overseas Partners Meeting
- Published in Soualiga Newsday Focus
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The Foundation Judicial Institutes St. Maarten (SJIS) and Foster Care Overseas Partners convened for a collaborative meeting aimed at empowering foster care communities and enhancing support for children and youth in foster care in need in different territories. Organized by SJIS, the meeting brought together foster care, family guardianship, and child protection representatives from St. Maarten, Saint Martin, Anguilla, St. Eustatius, and Bonaire.
The meeting, held under the theme "Empowering Foster Care Communities," focused on fostering collaboration, sharing best practices, and discussing effective strategies for foster care recruitment and retention. Participants engaged in fruitful discussions, sharing insights, challenges, and innovative approaches from their respective regions.
Reflecting on the activities of Foster Care Month, participants highlighted the impact of awareness campaigns, recruitment drives, and community engagement initiatives. Despite challenges, including financial constraints and varying stipends for foster parents, regions demonstrated commitment to supporting foster care initiatives across borders and advocating for the needs of children and youth.
During the meeting, participants explored a range of topics, including successful campaign strategies or initiatives implemented by organizations or countries to raise awareness about foster care and recruit foster parents, approaches to recruitment and retention of foster parents and mentors, and communication strategies proven most effective in engaging with potential foster parents, mentors, and stakeholders.
Key outcomes of the meeting included:
- Acknowledgment of the varied challenges and triumphs encountered across different regions during Foster Care campaigns.
- Deliberation on strategies for fostering recruitment, training, and support for foster parents, emphasizing the critical role of sustained funding and resources.
- Exploration of cooperative endeavors, such as annual gatherings, training exchanges, and joint advocacy ventures, aimed at fortifying foster care communities.
- Intentions for collaboration with the French Side of St. Martin regarding campaigning and foster parenting initiatives.
Moving forward, participants committed to continued collaboration and information-sharing to enhance foster care systems and provide optimal support for children and youth.
The SJIS would like to thank all participants for their valuable contributions and unwavering dedication to the welfare of children and youth in foster care on their respective islands.