IN THEIR OWN WORDS

In April 2005, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) hosted a multidisciplinary meeting in Washington, DC, consisting of representatives from child welfare, family practice, social work, nursing, government, the legal and judicial fields, child psychiatry, education, advocacy organizations, and families. This meeting launched the Healthy Foster Care America (HFCA) program, the goal of which is to use the influence and expertise of a large, multidisciplinary coalition to improve the health and well-being of children and teens in foster care.

Organizations represented at the meeting included:

• Administration for Children and Families
• American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
• American Academy of Family Physicians
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• American Bar Association
• American Public Human Services Administration
• Catholic Charities
• Center for Medicaid & State Operations
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• Child Welfare League of America
• Children's Bureau (of the Administration for Children and Families)
• Children's Defense Fund
• Children's Rights, Inc.
• Foster Care Alumni of America
• Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development
• Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
• Maternal and Child Health Bureau
• National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
• National Association of Public Child Welfare Administration
• National Association of Social Workers
• National CASA Association
• National Conference of State Legislatures
• National Council of Juvenile & Family Court Judges
• National Association of State Foster Care Managers
• National Foster Parents Association
• National Governors Association
• National Medical Association
• New York State Psychiatric Institute
• Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
• Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration