Our Resource Family Advocates (RFA) provide support to individual foster, adoptive and kinship parents as well as foster, adoptive and kinship parent applicants. RFAs aid resource families in various ways including the following:

• Advocate on your behalf with DYFS and Office of Licensing
• Answer questions and prepare correspondence or documentation
• Attend DYFS meetings with you as well as dispositional conferences and/or administrative reviews
• Provide in-depth information about DYFS policies and procedures and the Manual of Requirements for Resource Family Parents
• Explain the institutional abuse investigation process as well as the possible outcomes
• Act as a liaison/mediator between you and DYFS as well as other community providers
• Assist applicants through the licensing process
• Work with you to identify local support through connecting with a FAFS volunteer committee or affiliate in your area
• Through FAFS’ Fostering Connections program, help you identify mentors who are long-time resource parents

When should applicants contact the RFA?

• When they have questions about foster care or adoption
• When they have questions about the licensing process

When should foster parents contact their Resource Family Advocate (RFA)?

• When they have questions about DYFS policies, procedures and licensing requirements
• When they are informed that an Institutional Abuse investigation has started
• When they want a RFA to accompany them to meetings with DYFS
• When they want to question a DYFS decision and/or action
• When they need someone to talk to about foster care issues

When should foster parents, who are interested in adopting children in care, contact their RFA?

• When they need information on the adoption procedure and subsidy program
• When they are not in agreement with the subsidy decision

When should parents, who have adopted through DYFS, contact their RFA?

• When they need information about available services
• If they need to request a review of their adoption subsidy