Welcome to NFPA's 42nd annual conference!

Our families and supporters started arriving Thursday as NFPA's board met to gather committee and regional reports and to plan operations for the upcoming year. One immediate change in the board was the appointment of Pam Allen of Nebraska as Region 7 Vice President. Pam will finish Jodi Orton's term.

We're in Chicago!

NFPA kicked off its arrival  for the 42nd annual conference June 13 in Chicago/Oak Brook with a Council of State Affiliates meeting that was attended by 21 state representatives. Kudos to Massachusetts, Arizona, Idaho, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, California, Texas, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, Louisiana, Connecticut, Alabama, Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Florida, Iowa and Illinois for joining us!

NFPA Youth Scholarship winners announced

The National Foster Parent Association is pleased to announce the following recipients of the 2012 NFPA Youth Scholarship Award.

Cynthia G. -- Colorado
Maile M. -- Connecticut
Carissee P. -- Maryland
Alena K. -- Nebraska
Collette N. -- Massachusetts

The NFPA Youth Scholarship Award is offered to foster youth, adopted youth or biological youth of NFPA members who wish to further their education beyond high school, including college or university studies, vocational/technical school or junior college.

The awards are funded by proceeds from NFPA's conference silent auction. This year's silent auction will fund 2013's awards and is being held June 15-18 in Oak Brook, Illinois.

NFPA/TRI Foster Parent Survey

Dear Foster Parents,
Youth-to-foster parent matching is being talked about as a successful way to minimize placement disruptions, but we know very little about foster parent experiences with adolescents with mental health problems and virtually nothing about their experiences with adolescents with alcohol and other drug problems. This is a real problem since so many of our youth struggle with mental health and alcohol and other drug problems and it is the foster families that are expected to care for them. We are working to change this.

The National Foster Parent Association (NFPA) is working with the Treatment Research Institute (TRI) to conduct a national survey of foster parents’ views on adolescent alcohol and other drug use. As a member or supporter of NFPA, we would like you to answer some questions about adolescent alcohol and other drug use and problems. You don’t have to take part in this study.The TRI is an independent research group. TRI is not connected to the NFPA. About 500 foster parents will answer the questions in this survey.

Wow, What a Month!

The National Voice of Foster Parents Wow, What a Month! National Foster Care Month The National Foster Parent Association sends a heartfelt thanks to all who recognized the month of May as National Foster Care Month. We hope that through your efforts, foster care awareness was raised tenfold. We've listed some events that took place around the country for May.