EMBRACE Hosted by the Fanning Institute
October 13, 2009
The Fanning Institute hosted a brown bag lunch series on Thursday, Sept. 24, as part of EMBRACE, a statewide network intended to support foster parents, and the Child and Family Policy Initiative’s Fall Brown Bag Series.
Dr. Janet Rechtman, senior public service associate at the University of Georgia Fanning Institute, provided background on EMBRACE, which is intended to prepare Georgia foster families for the specific needs of children who have been placed into state custody.
EMBRACE was formed in 2006 based on a recommendation from First Lady Mary Perdue’s Children’s Cabinet. EMBRACE is funded primarily with public dollars and represents a three-way partnership, formed in August 2009, consisting of the University of Georgia, the Foster Family Foundation of Georgia, Inc. and Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS). The non-profit organization aims to achieve two specific goals, namely to increase the number of foster families in Georgia who are prepared to address the specific needs of those foster children who have been placed into state custody and to engage local communities to partner with DFCS in support of foster families and to protect the children of Georgia.