Foster, Adoptive, Kinship Parent Association of Fresno County

The Foster, Adoptive, Kinship, Parent Association (FAKPA) of Fresno County was established in 2003 by a group of Fresno-based foster parents (now known as resource parents). Meeting around a family kitchen table, it was there they devised a plan to establish a support system that would include resource parents, relatives, and adoptive parents in the Fresno/Clovis area. 

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Thousands of children in the California foster care system require temporary out-of-home care because of parental neglect, abuse, or exploitation. The largest percentages are African American and Latino children. The children, of all ages and varying needs, stay in foster care for weeks, some for years. Resource parents provide a supportive and stable family for children who cannot live with their birth parents until family difficulties are resolved. In most cases, foster parents work with their respective County social services staff and private agencies to reunite the child with birth parents. Resource parents often provide care to many different children.

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Today, the FAKPA focus is to address the numerous daily issues facing resource parents, families in guardianship, adoptive parents, and kinship placements. FAKPA of Fresno County is the local chapter of the non-profit California State Association (CSFPA) serving Fresno, Clovis, Auberry and Selma. 

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The CSFPA has the primary mission to bring together all resource parent/resource family associations in California to promote the general welfare of children in need of protective care by providing support, advocacy and education for all California Resource Families. This mission involves many challenges, including informing the public of, and advocating for, a better understanding of the many issues and impact of removing children from their birth parents and placing them in resource family homes.

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You are invited to attend monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of the month from 7-8:30 p.m. Every meeting includes a featured speaker addressing topics of interest to resource parents. Meetings are also a place where you can ask questions and share ideas about foster care. Please note: Due to COVID-19, on-site meetings as of April 2020, are currently conducted via Zoom.

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Annual FAKPA membership is $40 for individual membership or $60 per couple to join the Fresno FKPA Chapter.

Monthly meetings are free to attend and participants receive a certificate for two hours of training for each meeting.

For more information about membership, program benefits and online meetings, email FosterParentAssociation.Fresno@gmail.com or contact Elizabeth Thomas, Chapter 5 (Region 4) President, at 559.579.2255 or via email at ElizabethThomas0851@gmail.com.