COG works with local and state child welfare agencies to bolster foster and adoptive parent recruitment and retention initiatives. COG's child welfare technical committees provide a platform for this work, supporting local governments in the region through technical assistance and providing a place to discuss and track trends in foster care and adoption.
For youth who have aged out or are at risk of aging out of foster care, COG launched the Trailblazer Project, which provides critical support to students attending college, university, or trade school. Previously, COG partnered with NBC-4 Washington on Wednesday’s Child, a television segment that featured children who are waiting in foster care to be adopted. Hundreds of children in the region found an adoptive family after appearing on Wednesday’s Child.
Interested in becoming a foster parent? Check out these resources from area jurisdictions.
2024 Foster Parents of the Year
Child Welfare Resources
City of Alexandria
Arlington County
Charles County
District of Columbia
Fairfax County
Frederick County
Loudoun County
Montgomery County
Prince George’s County
Prince William County
News & Multimedia
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News
November 13, 2017
November is National Adoption Month. This month highlights the need for families to foster and adopt youth in the foster care system. Find out what you can do...
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News
July 13, 2017
The number of children in foster care in the region has declined by 45 percent over the last eight years, says a new COG report.
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News
May 10, 2017
Foster parents from 10 jurisdictions across the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia were honored by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments...
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News
May 11, 2016
Foster parents from 10 jurisdictions across the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia were honored by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments...