Who We Are

Our Organization

Community Partners in Care is a child-centered, family-focused organization dedicated to supporting foster parents, biological families, and children impacted by the child welfare system. We provide mentoring, education, advocacy, and practical support designed to reduce trauma, strengthen families, and improve outcomes for children in care.

Our work is rooted in lived experience and informed by trauma-responsive, culturally responsive, and relationship-based practices. We believe that children thrive best when the adults surrounding them are supported, informed, and connected — and when families are treated with dignity, respect, and compassion.

Why We Exist

Community Partners in Care was founded out of lived experience.

When I became a foster parent, I quickly learned that love alone was not enough. Children arrived in my home with limited information about their background and family circumstances. While my instinct was to provide safety, stability, and care, I often felt unprepared to navigate the complexities of the child welfare system. Support was inconsistent, guidance was limited, and the responsibility to advocate for children felt overwhelming and isolating.

Determined to do better for the children in my care, I immersed myself in learning. I educated myself on DCFS policies, court processes, trauma-informed care, and child advocacy. Over time, I became confident navigating systems and advocating for services — but one critical piece was still missing.

I did not yet understand how to effectively engage with and support the families the children came from.

That perspective shifted during unexpected moments, sitting alongside biological parents in hospital waiting rooms during their children’s surgeries. In those quiet, vulnerable spaces, parents shared their stories. Stories of trauma, loss, generational challenges, and the circumstances that led them into the child welfare system.

Those conversations changed everything.

I realized these parents were not the “monsters” they are often portrayed to be. They were ordinary people facing extraordinary challenges. Passing judgment without understanding their lived reality only deepens harm, for parents, for foster families, and most importantly, for children.

Community Partners in Care was born from this realization:
children are best supported when foster parents are equipped and mentored, biological families are respected and guided, and systems work collaboratively rather than in silos.

Our work exists to bridge gaps, reduce trauma, and walk alongside families, not above them.

Our Vision

Our vision is to be the guiding force in transforming the lives of children and families impacted by the foster care system. We envision a future where every child’s experience in foster care is free from re-traumatization, where foster parents are empowered advocates for a child’s best interests, and where bio families find a strong and supportive village that helps them overcome the challenges they face. Through our child-centered mentoring, training, and community-building, we aim to create a world where every child’s well-being is protected and nurtured.

Our Mission

Our mission is to empower and support foster parents and bio parents through child-centered mentoring, training, and a range of comprehensive services. We are dedicated to ensuring the well-being and best interests of every child in our care.

Our Approach to Family Support

Community Partners in Care was created by parents, for parents. Our work is rooted in lived experience and built on the belief that families deserve guidance that is practical, compassionate, and ongoing.

Through parent workshops, education, community conversations, and shared resources, we create spaces where foster parents and biological families can learn, ask questions, and feel less alone. Our support extends beyond programs through our blog, social media community, monthly newsletter, and growing digital content, with a podcast coming soon.