Fostering Great Ideas

Sib-link: when removed from their homes, siblings in foster care are often separated from each other. Sibling bonds, especially in those kids who have faced trauma, are some of the most important bonds in their lives. Sib-link exists to keep this connection strong and reduce further trauma by providing additional regular visits for these children.

Aspire: when youth age out of foster care, there are significant challenges. They are often on their own, lacking family support for their journey. Many students work to support themselves, and if they attend college, they are living paycheck to paycheck and have excessive financial pressure. The added financial stress to maintain college housing can add significant pressure to these youth in college. Many youth will fall behind in their academics and lose hope without a caring and consistent adult to encourage goal-setting and planning for next steps after high school. Aspire encourages youth to graduate from high school and then attend and excel in college by providing accountability and support throughout their academic experience. Through consistent meetings with our education advocate and peer gatherings focused on team-building, youth begin to visualize a future for themselves. They graduate from high school, apply to college programs, and find their own pathway to success.

Life support: statistics for teens who age out of foster care are bleak. We believe our community can reverse these bleak statistics by matching teens with adult mentors to provide ongoing emotional support and guidance. Life support mentors commit to visiting a youth in foster care twice per month, and this is often a multi-year commitment. Mentors actively listen to hopes, fears, and dreams. They become an important part of the child's journey towards better outcomes.