The Annie E. Casey Foundation and its direct service agency, Casey Family Services, believe that all children need and deserve a family for a lifetime. Through the work of Casey Family Services in New England and Baltimore, Maryland, and nearly 70 Family to Family sites across the nation, Casey works to identify, build, and strengthen families so that children have someone they can count on – every day, every step of the way. Our commitment to permanence, or lifelong families for children in foster care, has led us to assume a leadership role in the National Convening on Youth Permanence, National Foster Care Month, and National Adoption Day, all of which highlight the needs of the nearly half a million children in foster care today.

Established in 1971 and incorporated in New York in 1975, the Black Administrators in Child Welfare (BACW) is a nationwide, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of African American children and their families who are gravely overrepresented in the nation's child welfare system. Since its inception, BACW recognized that the lack of focus on African American children and families in the child welfare system was related to the lack of Black professionals involved in decision-making positions. As an advocate for the employment of Black executives in key administrative positions, BACW serves as a resource, support network and voice in an effort to alter and positively influence these conditions.

Casey Family Programs is the largest national foundation whose sole mission is to provide and improve — and ultimately prevent the need for — foster care. The foundation draws on over 40 years of experience and expert research and analysis to improve the lives of children and youth in foster care in two important ways: by providing direct services and support to foster families, and by promoting improvements in child welfare practice and policy. The Seattle-based foundation was established in 1966 by UPS founder Jim Casey.

The Children's Bureau (CB) is one of two bureaus within the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, of the Department of Health and Human Services. The Children's Bureau works with State and local agencies to develop programs that focus on preventing the abuse of children in troubled families, protecting children from abuse, and finding permanent placements for those who cannot safely return to their homes. As the oldest Federal agency for children within the Administration for Children and Families, the Children's Bureau has primary responsibility for administering Federal child welfare programs. The mission is to seek to provide for the safety, permanency and well being of children through leadership, support for necessary services, and productive partnerships with States, Tribes, and communities.

The Child Welfare League of America is the nation's oldest and largest membership-based child welfare organization. We are committed to engaging people everywhere in promoting the well-being of children, youth, and their families, and protecting every child from harm. We envision a future in which families, neighborhoods, communities, organizations, and governments ensure that all children and youth are provided with the resources they need to grow into healthy, contributing members of society.

Foster Care Alumni of America connects the alumni community and transforms policy and practice, thereby ensuring opportunity for people in and from foster care. Our organization provides a permanent and vibrant extended-family community for all people who share the foster care experience. We collaborate with allied individuals and other organizations to improve foster care practice and policy via legislative advocacy, education of child welfare professionals and care providers, and by building public awareness about foster care.

FosterClub is the national network for young people in foster care. For young people living in foster care, FosterClub is a place to turn for advice, information and hope. Our members are resilient young people determined to build a better future for themselves and for other kids coming up through the system behind them. FosterClub's websites, publications, events and annual All-Star internship program offer the tools and resources young people need to connect with each other, share experiences and insights, and to achieve personal success.

The Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative is a national foundation dedicated to helping youth leaving foster care make successful transitions to adulthood. The Initiative brings together the people and resources needed to help youth make the connections they need to education, employment, health care, housing, and supportive personal and community relationships. Launched in June 2001, the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative was formed by two of the leading foundations focused exclusively on child and youth well being: The Annie E. Casey Foundation and Casey Family Programs.

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world, with 153,000 members. NASW works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards, and to advance sound social policies.

The National Association of State Foster Care Managers provides an opportunity for State Foster Care Managers to pool their expertise for the progressive improvement of the quality of care to children in out-of-home care and share information and expertise about issues that affect the safety, permanency and well-being of children in out-of-home care and their families.

The National CASA Association, together with its state and local members, supports and promotes court appointed volunteer advocacy for abused and neglected children so that they can thrive in safe, permanent homes.

The mission of the National Foster Care Coalition is to provide a national collective voice, dedicated to building public and political will to improve the lives of children and youth from the foster care system. Established in 1998, NFCC is a unique partnership of member organizations and individuals dedicated to improving the lives of children, youth, and adults in and from foster care through political and public will building. As part of their compassionate commitment, NFCC members advocate on behalf of children, youth, and families involved with the foster care system; support local, regional, and national foster care initiatives; offer significant levels of training and technical assistance; and provide education and information about foster care to decision makers at the local, state, and federal levels.

The mission of the National Foster Parent Association is to provide services, support, training, mentoring, and assistance to foster parents.

The National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) is a national voice for American Indian/Alaska Native children and families. We are the most comprehensive source of information on American Indian child welfare and the only national American Indian organization focused specifically on the tribal capacity to prevent child abuse and neglect.

The NRCFCPPP is a training, technical assistance, and information services organization dedicated to help strengthen the capacity of State, local, Tribal and other publicly administered or supported child welfare agencies to: institutionalize a safety-focused, family-centered, and community-based approach to meet the needs of children, youth and families.

Since 1995, Children’s Rights has been fighting for our nation’s abused and neglected children. We are a national advocacy group working to reform failing child welfare systems on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of abused and neglected children who depend on them for protection and care. For more than a decade, we have been fighting to enshrine in the law of the land every child’s right to be protected from abuse and neglect and to grow up in a safe, stable, permanent home. Through tough legal action complemented by substantive policy expertise, we have won landmark victories and brought about sweeping improvements in the lives of abused and neglected children in more than a dozen states across the nation. For more information visit: www.childrensrights.org.

The Foster Family-based Treatment Association strengthens agencies that support families caring for vulnerable children. The Foster Family-based Treatment Association (FFTA) is an agency-led organization of treatment foster care providers established in 1988 with an initial purpose of defining and refining Treatment Foster Care practices. The Association’s membership is composed of agencies throughout North America currently operating treatment foster care programs. Organizations that are not direct service providers, but have an interest in the field, hold affiliate membership status. FFTA is assisted by recognized researchers and policy-makers in the fields of child welfare and mental health. For more information visit: www.ffta.org.

Orphan Foundation of America (OFA) provides opportunities for America’s foster youth to continue their education; raises awareness of the plight of older teens leaving the system; highlights the potential of America’s foster youth; and offers opportunities for citizens, business, and civic organizations to assist older foster youth. For more information visit: www.orphan.org

Voices for America’s Children is a national, nonpartisan multi-issue child advocacy network that speaks out for effective public policies that will improve the lives of all children in their communities, states and across the country. The Voices network is comprised of 60 local and state child advocacy organizations in 46 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.