This piece for the Chronicle of Social Change is written by April Dinwoodie, chief executive of the Donaldson Adoption Institute and vice president of the board of Fostering Change for Children, a progressive nonprofit that helps drive innovation in the child welfare system. In the article, Dinwoodie argues that more openness in foster care arrangements is beneficial to children’s wellbeing as well as to their foster and biological families. “Although biological family members may not be able to care for the child, this does not necessarily mean they don’t care about the child,” says Dinwoodie. The article calls for a shift in thinking in regards to foster care and a change in practices for child welfare professionals to ensure that bridges are built between foster parents and families of origin, in the best interests of the child.
