Thousands of Foster Children on The Brink

California's Foster Care System is on the Brink - How You Can Help

Foster Family Agencies (FFAs) are non-profits that help counties find safe, supportive placements for foster children. They play a key role in family reunification efforts, working closely with birth families by providing parenting classes, substance abuse counseling, and other resources to help create safe, stable home environments. When reunification isn’t possible, FFAs recruit and certify foster parents, providing them with ongoing support and training.

FFAs are at risk of shutting down!

The Nonprofit Insurance Alliance (NIAC), which provides liability insurance to most of California’s FFAs, is no longer renewing policies. Without insurance, these agencies cannot operate, and the potential closure of FFAs could have devastating consequences.

With nearly 45,000 children and youth in California's foster care system, the vast majority separated from their parents due to neglect or abuse, FFAs play a crucial role. Currently, thousands of foster youth are placed under the care of FFAs and now thousands of children are at risk

The Impact of these Closures:

Thousands of foster children could lose their placements, leading to displacement from their communities, schools, and homes.
This impacts some of the most vulnerable children in the foster care system, like medically fragile youth, LGBTQ+ youth, older foster youth, children with higher needs
Foster youth will face the loss of critical support systems, including therapists, counselors, and teachers.
For children who have already faced immense instability, this upheaval will intensify feelings of anxiety, abandonment, and uncertainty about the future.
Moving to a new home means starting over with new foster parents, therapists, and support staff—often mid-school year—and in some cases, could lead to youth becoming unhoused.
FFAs are essential in helping California achieve its child welfare reform goals. Without FFAs, counties would struggle to meet the needs of foster children. The closure of these agencies would overwhelm counties and leave many foster children without the specialized support they rely on.

What We’re Doing

The California Alliance is fighting to ensure that FFAs remain open and that foster youth continue to have access to the services they depend on. We have compiled and created resources to help advocate for the future of FFAs and the children they support. Let’s work together to ensure these thousands foster children maintain their safety, stability, and support systems.

Thousands of Foster Youth on the Brink - Helpful Advocacy Tools

Our advocacy tools provide a range of materials to help you advocate for the thousands of foster children at risk of losing services provided by FFAs due to the insurance crisis. Each tool serves a specific purpose, whether raising awareness or driving action.

Outreach Tools

Our advocacy tools provide a range of materials to help you advocate for the over 9,300 foster children at risk of losing services provided by FFAs due to the insurance crisis. Each tool serves a specific purpose, whether raising awareness or driving action.

Sample Op-eds - These are designed to help you share personal or organizational perspectives on the crisis. Use them to publish thoughtful pieces in local news outlets, and remember to adapt them to your unique voice.
Sample Press Release - This tool is for reaching multiple media outlets quickly. Tailor the press release to your organization, add local data where applicable, and distribute it to your media contacts.
Social Media Tool Kit - The kit includes ready-to-use posts that can be shared across platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn. Customize the posts to reflect your organization’s tone, and use visuals that highlight the impact on foster children.
Talking Points - Use these when speaking to legislators, the media, or your community. They outline key issues, making it easy to convey the urgency of the situation.

Announcements from the State

Below are announcements from the state. We will continue to update this section as more information becomes available. Please check back for any updates. Members will have updates emailed directly to them as soon as they are available.

DOI Letter - CA Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara sent this letter strongly encouraging all property and casualty insurance companies licensed or doing business in California to initiate or expand their offerings to FFAs.
DSS Letters to NIAC
- DSS Letter urging NIAC to extend coverage to FFAs through June 30, 2025
- DSS Letter to NIAC Responding to their concerns regarding AB 2496 Expediated FFA Portability Process
Resources from CDSS
- CDSS Template Letter for FFA porting Resource Families
- CDSS FAQ

In The News

The word is spreading! Everyone advocating for this issue is working tirelessly to inform as many people as possible about this crisis. Below are recent news posts and more are to come. Please share with your communities.