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January 22, 2025

New training opportunities available for foster families in Montana

The families who step up to care for the children in Montana’s foster care system are gaining new opportunities for training, support and community connection at no cost to them. The statewide nonprofit organization, Child Bridge, has expanded its services to include new programs aimed at preparing foster and adoptive families from the very beginning of the journey.

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January 22, 2025

Unique women’s retreat aims to serve foster and adoptive mothers

Foster and adoptive moms have a unique opportunity to receive restoration and encouragement at a women’s retreat unlike any other in Montana. The Radiant Women’s Retreat is an annual, 3-day retreat created specifically for women who care for children from foster care. Designed, organized and hosted by the non-profit foster care support organization, Child Bridge, it is the only event of its kind in the state.

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January 22, 2025

The Greatest Threat To Montana

Beneath its scenic beauty and deeply rooted communities, Montana has a dark side. Residents pride themselves on looking out for their own, but in reality, our state is facing a crisis — one that threatens the most precious and vulnerable among us, our children. Abuse and neglect are tearing Montana’s families apart, leaving wounded children to bear the scars alone.

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Facts & Stats

Montana Child/Teen Population & Demographics

View some of the general Montana demographic/population information that help provide context to the state’s foster care statistics.

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Montana State and National Foster Care Statistics

View a wide range of collected statistics illuminating the state of child welfare in both Montana and the United States.

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Common Questions About Foster Care

Deepen your understanding of the purpose, processes and requirements of foster care, and find answers to some of the most common foster care questions.

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Initiatives

Enhanced Recruitment Initiative

This initiative will reinvigorate and expand our recruitment efforts to secure safe and nurturing environments for neglected and abused children. We are integrating digital platforms and targeted marketing into our recruitment strategy to diversify our pool of prospective families and engage potential donors.

Improved recruitment metrics will consider cultural nuances, especially within Native communities, where kinship placement holds significant value. The initiative features a streamlined process for introducing new families to the State for foster licensing that allows recruited families to actively participate in the process. Through advocacy, education and inclusive outreach efforts, we aim to build a robust network of support for children in need.

Expanded Support Initiative

This initiative aims to address a crucial gap in our service community by extending support and resources beyond Child Bridge families to all individuals engaged in foster care and those affected by trauma.

We are expanding our Foster Parent Coaching program, recognizing its potential to profoundly impact communities statewide. Additionally, we are enhancing access to valuable resources such as podcasts, videos and training sessions, while introducing innovative formats like Journey Groups to equip families with indispensable skills. A digital training platform will streamline the preparation process for foster parents, focusing on trauma care and more. This initiative is not only intrinsic to our mission but also reflects our responsibility to encourage families to embrace the call to foster care.

Statewide Access Initiative

This initiative aims to establish a physical presence from Child Bridge in prominent cities across Montana, including Billings, Kalispell, Helena/Great Falls, Butte, Bozeman and Miles City.

Occupying and staffing individual regions will enable us to fully support families as an effective, statewide organization. By delineating the specific needs and costs for each hub (office space, staffing, programming, and equipment) we aim to enhance our capacity to recruit and equip families and increase awareness, engagement and donor support across Montana.

Native Families Initiative

Dedicated to hiring Native American staff members, this initiative takes aim at the lack of representation and support for foster families within Montana’s many tribal communities.

Native staff members are distinctly equipped to understand and address the needs and cultural sensitivities of these communities. We aim to facilitate collaboration between tribes and state agencies by providing essential support and resources for tribal members involved in foster care and kinship care.

Child Specific Recruitment Initiative

Our "Every Child Deserves a Home: Child-Specific Recruitment Initiative" is dedicated to providing focused, child-specific recruitment effort on behalf of the children across Montana in need of a permanent home.

With 80 children awaiting adoption as of early 2024, we recognize the importance and urgency of finding the right families for these children. In response to the state's plea for assistance, we are dedicating one full-time position to child-specific recruitment efforts. Apart from Child and Family Services (CFS), there are currently no other organizations actively engaged in addressing this issue.

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Latest news

New training opportunities available for foster families in Montana