Fostering Media Connections

FOSTERING MEDIA CONNECTIONS IS A NON-PROFIT NEWS ORGANIZATION THAT USES A MIX OF INVESTIGATIVE, ACCOUNTABILITY AND SOLUTION-ORIENTED JOURNALISM TO DRIVE REFORM WITHIN THE SYSTEMS THAT SERVE VULNERABLE CHILDREN, YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES.

THE IMPRINT (FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE CHRONICLE OF SOCIAL CHANGE): THE IMPRINT IS AN ONLINE NEWS SITE COVERING CHILD WELFARE AND JUVENILE JUSTICE NEWS NATIONALLY, WITH EDITORIAL STAFF IN CALIFORNIA, NEW YORK, ARIZONA, WYOMING AND MICHIGAN. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THE IMPRINT HAS RUN NEARLY 4,000 ARTICLES ON ISSUES IMPACTING CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES; WON NUMEROUS AWARDS DEDICATED TO SOLUTION-BASED COVERAGE OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH'S ISSUES; AND INSPIRED FOLLOW UP COVERAGE IN BOTH LOCAL MARKET AND NATIONAL MEDIA OUTLETS. IN FY 2019-2020, READERSHIP GREW 54 PERCENT OVERALL, WITH MONTHLY PAGE VIEWS REGULARLY EXCEEDING 100,000.

YOUTH VOICE PROGRAM: FMC'S YOUTH VOICE PROGRAM BEGAN IN 2016 AS A JOURNALISM TRAINING PROGRAM FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE IN THE FOSTER CARE OR JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEMS. IN 2020, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR NEW YOUTH VOICE PROGRAM MANAGER, WE GENERATED 57 PERSONAL REFLECTIONS AND OPINION PIECES FROM YOUNG PEOPLE WITH FOSTER CARE OR YOUTH JUSTICE EXPERIENCE. THIS INCLUDED, FOR THE FIRST TIME, A PHOTO-ESSAY FROM AN UP-AND-COMING PHOTOGRAPHER ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE AS AN ESSENTIAL WORKER DURING THE PANDEMIC. THE YOUTH VOICE PROGRAM EXPANDED THIS YEAR TO INCLUDE CONTRIBUTORS FROM MINNESOTA AND TEXAS, AND SOON, WASHINGTON. BEYOND WRITING IN OUR PAGES,CONTRIBUTORS WORK WITH THE FMC TEAM TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN VIRTUAL EVENTS FOCUSED ON YOUTH EXPERIENCES AND CHALLENGES RELATED TO HIGHER EDUCATION, RACISM, HOMELESSNESS AND MORE.

FOSTERING FAMILIES TODAY: FOSTERING FAMILIES TODAY IS AN AWARD-WINNING BI-MONTHLY PRINT AND DIGITAL MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTED TO RESOURCE FAMILIES AND KIN CAREGIVERS. TODAY WE HAVE 17,000 FFT SUBSCRIBERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND SOME IN CANADA. THIS MAGAZINE ENSURES CAREGIVERS ARE EDUCATED ABOUT THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE, AND PROVIDES THEM WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO EARN CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS THROUGH READING COMPREHENSION.

FMC SHINES LIGHT ON ABUSES OF POWER AND BETRAYALS OF PUBLIC TRUST, WHILE HEIGHTENING PUBLIC DIALOGUE ABOUT CRITICAL TOPICS THAT SYSTEMS-INVOLVED CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES FACE. WE MEASURE IMPACT IN THREE WAYS: 1) POLICY CHANGE; 2) MEDIA PICKUP; AND 3) READERSHIP. POLICY CHANGE: FMC'S COVERAGE HAS REPEATEDLY DRIVEN POLICY CHANGE AT THE LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL. SINCE LAUNCHING IN 2010, FMC HAS BEEN CRITICAL TO CHANGING FEDERAL LAW AFFECTING THE EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS OF FOSTER YOUTH, EXTENDING THE FOSTER CARE TO AGE 21 IN CALIFORNIA AND A WIDE RANGE OF REFORMS IN OUR HOME BASE OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY. FOR EXAMPLE, OUR COVERAGE OF THE STATES' FAILURE TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE FEDERAL EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT FOSTER CARE MANDATES LED TO MILLIONS OF NEW DOLLARS SPENT TO PROVIDE RIDES TO SCHOOL FOR FOSTER YOUTH IN CALIFORNIA, RHODE ISLAND AND COLORADO. IN ADDITION, WE MADE SURE THAT MEDIA OUTLETS AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY UNDERSTOOD THE NEEDS OF THE RELATIVES WHO STEP UP TO CARE FOR FOSTER CHILDREN. WE WERE SO EFFECTIVE THAT GEORGIA FOUND NEARLY 3 MILLION TO INCREASE PAY TO RELATIVE CAREGIVERS, AND TWO MEMBERS OF CONGRESS PENNED AN OP-ED IN THE HILL THAT RELIED HEAVILY ON OUR WORK CALLING FOR BETTER SUPPORT OF THESE FAMILIES. MEDIA PICKUP: KEY TO FMC'S THEORY OF CHANGE IS THE ABILITY TO DRIVE FOLLOW-UP COVERAGE IN MAINSTREAM AND NICHE NEWS OUTLETS, ENSURING OUR STORIES AND THE CRITICAL ISSUES THEY COVER REACH THE BROADEST POSSIBLE AUDIENCE. IN FY 19-20, WE HAD 1,103 TOTAL INSTANCES OF MEDIA PICKUP (COMPARED TO 938 THE PREVIOUS YEAR), INCLUDING OUTLETS SUCH AS THE WASHINGTON POST, TIME, THE LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS, THE ATLANTIC, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE APPEAL, TEEN VOGUE, VICE, PUBLIC RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS, AND MANY MORE. READERSHIP: FMC'S AUDIENCE RANGES FROM CHILD WELFARE AND JUVENILE JUSTICE WORKERS TO POLICYMAKERS, MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA AND YOUTH. OVER THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, OUR READERSHIP GREW BY MORE THAN 50 PERCENT, BUILDING ON OUR NEW SUSTAINABLE REPORTING HUBS IN NEW YORK AND NOW THE MIDWEST