CHILD BRIDGE, INC

Child Bridge's mission is laser-focused: to find foster and adoptive families for Montana's child victims of abuse and neglect and to equip those families to care for children who have experienced trauma. Founded in the Flathead Valley in 2010, Child Bridge recruitment efforts doubled the number of licensed foster families in the valley within the first year. Due to the rapidly increasing need for well-equipped foster families across the state, our vision widened to find and equip families in other regions of Montana. Operations began in Billings in 2015, Missoula in 2016, Bozeman and Butte in 2017, Great Falls and Glendive in 2018.

The Child Bridge business model is strategically simple. Each office across the state has a Regional Director who owns the Child Bridge mission locally, recruiting foster families and guiding the families who come forward through the licensing process. Once a family becomes licensed, the local Child Bridge Outreach and Support Coordinator walks alongside them throughout their foster/adoptive journey, offering consistent communication and access to numerous resources, including: Child Bridge Monthly Foster/Adoptive Family Resource Groups, Foster Family Support Team Trainings, national conferences on trauma-informed parenting, and assistance in meeting a child's immediate physical needs upon removal. Well-equipped and connected families experience greater success and longevity as foster parents, creating environments where children can experience healing.

Child Bridge's laser-sharp focus and highly replicable business model have proven successful at finding and supporting foster/adoptive families for these children in need. While thoughtful, highly relational and informational foster family recruiting is challenging, the number of knowledgeable Child Bridge recruited/supported families continues to increase.

Due to the success of the Child Bridge model at finding and equipping foster and adoptive families for Montana children, the State of Montana has sought out Child Bridge as a key partner in reaching its strategic goals for child welfare and permanency. In 2016, Child Bridge was recognized in Washington D.C. as the first Montana organization to receive the Angel in Adoption award by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI). The CCAI is the largest nonpartisan, bicameral caucus in the U.S. and serves as a consulting arm to the Senate and Congress on child welfare issues. Each year, the coalition recognizes individuals or organizations who have made extraordinary contributions to the areas of foster care/adoption, child welfare and permanency with the Angel in Adoption Award. Child Bridge was selected by both Senator Tester and Congressman Zinke.