Better Together

• 1 in 184 children has been in the foster system.
• Between 5,000 and 10,000 are in Alabama foster care on any given day. Visit the Alabama Department of Human resources for current statistics:(Foster Care – Alabama Department of Human Resources)
• 65% of children rescued from sex trafficking have been in foster care. Their life expectancy is only seven years.
• 70% of people in prison in many states have been in foster care.

• 76% of foster children are reunited with their family in the allotted processing period IF they have only ONE Department of Human Resources caseworker. It drops to 20% when there is more than one caseworker, resulting in an extended stay in the system.
• 20% of the aged-out are immediately homeless.
• 50% of the aged out do not have a legal means of support after five years.
• And it goes on and on!! More statistics are available on national websites, including www.CAFO.org and www.promise686.org

The four areas needed most to overcome these statistics shared by most foster organizations interviewed are:

1. More workers for the State of Alabama – 3,000 for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates),4,000 long-term foster parents, 98% more care support groups (foster, adoptive, and birth parents), 1,500 long-term mentors for aging out youth, 200 social workers for DHR (Department of Human Resources), an undetermined number of qualified trauma counselors, and volunteers for local organizations. Improvements in this area will increase the effectiveness of the foster system and meet many of the security, acceptance, and significance needs of children.
2. Reduce turnover – Currently, the foster parent turnover rate is 50%-100% per year, the DHR turnover rate is 47%, and CASA turnover rate, though undetermined, is high. Solving problems in this area will help provide security for children and increase productivity within the foster system.  
3. Education – Information about the services each advocate organization offers and how to tap into their services, intensive training for foster parents, adoptive parents, mentors, social workers, and CASA workers so that they’ll know how the foster system works and what they are getting into. Good education produces efficiency and effectiveness of the system and provides significance for the children.
4. Communication – Local foster advocate organizations, foster parents, mentors, DHR, the legal system, and churches need better communication with one another to help meet the needs of the children they serve. The image of the foster system and foster children needs to be more positive. We’ll have radio and TV appearances to share new developments, local needs, and current events. We’ll offer a centralized database of resource organizations with contacts, social media, a blog, and podcasts to keep all informed. Good communication increases the efficiency of the foster system and public awareness of its needs, and boosts the acceptance and significance of foster children.

Foster Coalition Structure

Foster Coalition is best classified as a Catalyst Organization. It functions as an independent entity that helps local foster organizations, agencies, and ministries unite to provide effective collaborative services at a level above what they can accomplish working independently. Foster Coalition does not perform any of the united entity services. The results of a united community focused on a common goal with effective communication among themselves has historically improved the success rate between 30% and 50%, as documented in research performed by Stanford University (http://ssir.org/articles/entry/collective_impact#).

Why Support a Catalyst Organization? 

Three reasons to support a catalyzing organization, National Christian Foundation:
3 reasons to support a catalyzing organization – National Christian Foundation (ncfgiving.com)

Paul Berry

Paul Berry is a retired financial planner and investment advisor with The Covenant Group, which he founded in 1988. Paul is married to Robbie, and they have three children and nine grandchildren. Paul and Robbie were the founders of the Safe Harbor ministry, which reaches out to families with teenagers with rebellious behaviors such as drug abuse, eating disorders, self-cutting, deviant sexual behavior, anger, and violence. Safe Harbor coaches parents on how to get between their rebellious teens and the behavior in which they are involved and offers a faith-based online video series for parents with troubled teens.

Paul served as a founding board member of JH Ranch, First Priority of Alabama, and Kingdom Advisors. Paul also served as a member of the steering committee to start the Alabama Christian Foundation, a division of the National Christian Foundation.

Mike Ousley

Mike Ousley is emerging as one of today’s top entertainment producers. As owner and president of Mike Ousley Productions, he brings over thirty-seven years of experience in award-winning television production. His first project started as a series of local music television shows for teenagers, which was also simulcast on radio and developed into an adult music video show that ran in fifteen markets across the country.

Mike is the only television producer to have twice won Billboard Magazine’s ‘Music Video Show of the Year.’ As Mike Ousley Productions is responsible for TV program production in several of the top fifty markets in America, Mike is keenly aware of the importance of delivering a professional product on time and within budget. He’s had the pleasure of working with many incredibly talented artists, including Bill Cosby, Bart Starr, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Hootie & the Blowfish, as well as corporate clients like IHEARTMedia, Universal Music, Sony Music, Warner Bros, Atlantic Records, Nexstar, Sinclair, Meredith Communications, Hearst Corporation, and Raycom Media.

In addition, Mike has strong ties through philanthropic work in his community. He currently serves as a board member of the Owens House, a child abuse counseling center in Shelby county, and the Cornerstone Schools of Alabama, which provides high-quality education to inner-city children. In addition, he was previously a founder and director of the music video association of America (a trade organization). Mike is based in Birmingham, Alabama, and is actively involved in his church.