Wisconsin Foster & Adoptive
Parent Association, Inc.
How Can We Help You?
We have a passion to ensure that children have families and families have the support they need. Please contact us if there’s a way we can help you.
Get to Know Us
We are a peer-driven organization that strongly believes in the power of families to change children's lives for the better. Our goal is to increase the information, resources, training, and support available to foster, adoptive, kinship families who foster or adopt in Wisconsin. Our training and support services are designed to help these families thrive, ensuring the best possible care for the children they welcome into their homes.
Empowering Families to Make a Positive Impact on Children's Lives
We strive to collaborate with all other agencies that wish to work together for the purposes hereinafter set forth:
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To promote and enhance mutual coordination and communication among foster and adoptive parents, foster and adoptive parent associations, child welfare agencies to improve services to foster and adoptive families, and in particular to foster and adoptive children.
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To be the collective voice for all foster and adoptive parent local organizations.
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To be the collective voice for all foster and adoptive children in the State of Wisconsin.
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To promote a positive depiction of foster and adoptive parents and foster and adoptive children by educating the public and the legislative assemblies regarding the vast needs of children in foster and adoptive care.
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To encourage the recruitment and retention of foster and adoptive parents, foster and adoptive parent associations, and child welfare agencies.
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To advocate for state laws and local associations’ policies to better meet the needs of foster and adoptive children.
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To provide a network of support through community education, communication and camaraderie to foster and adoptive families as they are challenged to meet the needs of the children in their care.
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Offers conferences two times a year.
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Publishes four newsletters a year.
"You don’t need to be an expert in policy in order to advocate for something that you feel strongly about. Having a personal connection to an issue is part of what will make the work that you do resonate with so many people."
~ Miranda
When we rely on others to enact change that we want to see, we possess no agency in seeing those changes implemented. Your perspective and participation matter.
~ Maria
WHAT IS YOUR STORY?
Enter Jared. Jared joined our board as the Legislation/Lobbyist Chair, representing WFAPA in discussions with legislators and county officials across Wisconsin to advocate for reforms in adoption and foster care.
Long before the written word, communities told stories through cave paintings and glyphs depicting hunting and cultural rituals. Even today, fables endure for their clear moral lessons.
Storytelling has consistently served as an effective means for individuals to foster connections and motivate others throughout history.
The human brain is wired for stories. Stories create patterns we understand. We like beginnings, middles, and ends. Stories help create meaning. They help us problem solve. They help us teach. They help us record our histories and communicate our individual experiences. Stories can even help us advocate important issues that personally impact us or that we care about deeply.
Using Storytelling to Advocate for Foster Care and Adoption
Your Story Matters
Storytelling is an effective method for engaging with others, particularly individuals who may not share or fully understand your experiences or point of view.
Storytelling helps people understand each other and feel empathy, making narratives useful for advocates to inform and influence.
Individuals affected by foster care and adoption—including adoptive, foster, and kinship families, children who have experienced foster care or adoption, and professionals in the field—are encouraged to share their experiences to inform communities and policymakers about relevant issues impacting them. In this way, storytelling can help raise awareness about concerns that need attention and action. This might be the need for a new policy that improves adoption, the foster care system, or another positive change that would help improve the experiences of individuals impacted by adoption and foster care.
If you have been involved in adoption or foster care, chances are you have a story to tell. In fact, you may have more than one to share.
We invite you to share your experiences with Jared. Please take some time to reflect on your personal journey and connect with him directly. If you are uncertain about what aspects to discuss or where to begin, you may find the following questions helpful:
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What concerns have been most significant in your experience with adoption or foster care?
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What challenges or roadblocks have you encountered?
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What resources, programs, and agencies have supported you while navigating adoption or foster care?
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Are there changes you would like to advocate for that could help others involved in adoption or foster care?
His objectives are as follows:
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Engage with more adoptive, foster, and kinship families, individuals who have experienced foster care or adoption, and professionals in the field.
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Listen to their experiences.
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Gather feedback to inform proposed improvements.