Resources and support for new foster parents
When you are just starting out as a foster parent, it can be hard to know where to turn. Find resources and support to help you start your journey as a new foster caregiver.
Support groups
ACRF statewide foster and adoptive parent support group: A support group hosted through ACRF. Meetings are held virtually on the third Thursday of each month. Check out our training calendar for the next meeting location and time or contact us to learn more.
Mat-Su Connection Café: The Connection Cafe is a foster parent-led support group for adoptive and foster parents in the Mat-Su valley.
Kinship family support :The kinship family program through Volunteers of America has regular support groups and activities for Alaskans who are caring for family members.
Contact us to learn more about support groups.
Contact us
We’re here to help. Contact us for information, support, and to have your questions answered today.
Social media groups
- Interior Alaska Foster Care Families: A great resource for support from both foster and adoptive families in the Interior of Alaska, though they are open to families from around the state.
- Southeast Alaska Foster Care Families: A regional group focusing on supporting foster families in the Southeast panhandle of Alaska. This is also a closed group open only to foster families, former foster families, or families in the process of being licensed.
- Foster Well Mat-Su: Connecting Mat-Su area foster and adoptive parents to compassionate community members with a well of resources, support, and encouragement. An initiative of Beacon Hill.
- Foster Well Anchorage: Connecting Anchorage area foster and adoptive parents to compassionate community members with a well of resources, support and encouragement. An initiative of Beacon Hill.
Key resources for new foster caregivers
- Questions to ask upon placement
- Financial guide for newly licensed foster parents
- Resource family packet of contacts and forms
- Medication logs and clothing inventory
- Transportation and mileage forms
- Emergency and damage property forms
- Emergency evacuation log
- Emergency response plan form
- AAP bright futures healthy child check up schedules and instructions
- Centralized contact list OCS
- Forms and publications OCS
- Financial guide for newly licensed foster parents
- Keeping in touch
- Fostering families today
- Centralized contacts list
- OCS daycare authorization payment changes and program rate schedule
- Request for child care support information
- Thread (child care referrals)
- State of Alaska employee directory
- Information on school stability requirements
- Foster Wear
- IFoster
- Beacon Hill
- Anchorage resource guide
- Anchorage human services community resource list
- Mat-Su valley
- Mat-Su therapeutic resource guide for adoptive parents
- The Mat-Su valley paper navigator: FASD and trauma resources for families caring for young children
- Southern Kenai peninsula
- Alaska family directory
- Alaska 211
