These resources can help foster care agencies and families provide holistic support while honoring children’s unique backgrounds and identities.
February is recognized as Black History Month. February is also the month of LOVE and CONNECTION, which brings JOY, WELL-BEING, and MEANING TO LIFE.
In 2025, 61% of children in Cuyahoga County's care were African American. Historically, African-American children have been disproportionately represented in child-serving systems, including the child welfare and juvenile systems.
As we celebrate LOVE and CONNECTION this month with our own loved ones, let us remember our children need LOVE and CONNECTIONS too. Let's address the over-representation of African-American children in care and all children in foster care by helping them ESTABLISH and MAINTAIN STRONG HEALTHY CONNECTIONS with FAMILY MEMBERS and other KINSHIP CONNECTIONS.
Even if the supportive connection is unable to be considered for placement now, help our children stay connected to those appropriate, important people in their lives!
Black History Month is a time to honor the rich contributions and achievements of African Americans throughout history. This site features remarkable stories of resilience and triumph, focusing on famous Black Americans who, despite facing the challenges of foster care, went on to leave an indelible mark on society. Their journeys inspire us and serve as a testament to the power of perseverance, talent, and determination.
~ Fostering Connections
Fredericka Douglass Sprague Perry
(August 9, 1872 – October 23, 1943)
Photo courtesy of findagrave.com
Granddaughter of Frederick Douglass, Fredericka Douglass noticed that orphaned black children were sent to juvenile detention institutions while orphaned white children were sent to foster care. So, she got involved in the African-American women’s clubs movement to create change and support black communities, families and children. She co-founded the Missouri State Association of Colored Girls in 1923 and the Colored Big Sister Home for Girls in 1934, which provided housing for black girls ages 12 and over in foster care. Her work pushed for the integration of child welfare programs; some states were not fully integrated until 1943, the year Fredericka died.
Cuyahoga County's Just in Time Training is a web based service program designed to connect foster parents, kinship or other caregivers with training, peer experts and other resources. Questions are answered and practical solutions to care for children are discussed - all from the comfort of your home or office.
If you have difficulty accessing any material on this site, please contact us in writing and we will work with you to make the information available. You can direct your request to JITSupport@USF.edu.