Foster care · Fatherhood · Family
Foster dad. Author. The marketer helping America find foster parents.
I'm Mark Daley. My husband Jason and I became parents through foster care. I wrote about it in Safe, published by Simon & Schuster. And I've helped more than 35,000 families take their first step toward becoming foster parents.
Recruiting foster parents? See how I help agencies →
Three ways I work on foster care
Foster parent
Jason and I became foster parents in 2016. We've lived the late-night placements, the court dates, reunification and adoption. That's the lens I bring to every stage and every campaign.
Read our story →Author and speaker
Safe is my memoir of fatherhood, foster care and the risks we take for family. I speak to child welfare leaders, foster and adoptive parents, and fatherhood audiences about what the system asks of families, and what it owes them.
Book a talk →Foster parent recruiter
I use data and targeted online advertising to help agencies and states find foster homes. My team has helped more than 35,000 families explore becoming foster parents.
Work with me →
The memoir · Simon & Schuster · 2024
Safe: A Memoir of Fatherhood, Foster Care, and the Risks We Take for Family
Every day, about 700 children enter foster care in the United States. Safe is the story of two of them, and of the two dads who said yes. It's an honest look at love, loss and a system that too often fails the families it's meant to protect.
“A truly revealing work.” — Hillary Clinton
“A gripping and earnest examination of the meaning of family.” — Publishers Weekly
“A strong indictment of a failed child welfare system, but with an unexpectedly happy ending that speaks to the power of love.” — Kirkus Reviews
“If you want a life-changing book, this is the one to read.” — ABC's The View
Ordering for a conference, agency or book club? Order in bulk through Porchlight Books →
“A page-turner. Mark shows that courage comes from being willing to show up and be vulnerable when the outcome is out of your control.”
“Mark Daley courageously welcomes readers into some of the most trying and painful times of his life to shed light on the challenges faced by millions of families across America.”
“Beautifully told. Mark Daley’s wit and compassion shine in this deeply personal story of love and courage.”
Speaking
Bring Mark to your conference
I speak as someone who has been the foster parent in the room, and the marketer behind the recruitment campaign. Audiences leave with a clearer picture of what families need to say yes, and to stay.
Keynote · Foster & adoptive parents
Safe: What Foster Care Asks of Families
A keynote drawn from the memoir on love, loss and staying the course.
Workshop · Agency leaders & recruiters
Finding the Families: Recruiting Foster Parents in a Digital Age
Data and lessons from 35,000+ families who raised their hands.
Talk · Judges, attorneys & court staff
Children in Court
What foster children and families experience in court, and how the system can better serve them.
Past keynotes & stages
- National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
- New Jersey Courts Children in Court Conference
- California Association of Children and Family Services
- John Burton Advocates for Youth Blueprint Conference
- LA County Systems Improvement
- Prevent Child Abuse Iowa
- Lutheran Services Illinois
- Orange County CASA
- Hillsides
- Kern County Champions of Change
- Ad Council
- American Enterprise Institute
- UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare
Available for keynotes, workshops and panels nationwide.
Recruiting foster parents
35,000+ families. One question: could I do this?
Most people who would make great foster parents have never been asked. Through Daley Solutions and The Foster Parent, my team uses data analytics and targeted online advertising to reach them, including homes for teens, sibling groups and kids with higher needs.
35,000+
families helped to explore fostering
100+
agencies served
9
years recruiting online
About Mark
Mark Daley is a foster and adoptive dad, the author of Safe: A Memoir of Fatherhood, Foster Care, and the Risks We Take for Family (Simon & Schuster), and a leading voice on recruiting foster parents. He founded TheFosterParent.com, a national platform connecting interested families with foster care agencies, and through his firm, Daley Solutions, he has helped more than 35,000 families explore becoming foster parents.
Before turning to foster care, Mark spent two decades in communications and public policy. He served as a communications director on Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign, advised more than 30 members of Congress and governors, and founded One Iowa, the state’s largest LGBTQ+ equality organization. He lives in Los Angeles with his husband, Jason, and their three children.
Full bio and press kit →Let's find more families for kids who need them.
Whether you're planning a conference, running a recruitment campaign or writing a story about foster care, I'd love to hear from you.