THE FOSTERS ASSISTING FOSTERS PROGRAM

MISSION STATEMENT
OBJECTIVES
PHASES OF THE PROJECT
IMPROVING FOSTER YOUTH OUTCOMES
STRATEGIES AND TACTICS
CONCLUSION

To create an organization that encourages former foster children ages 19-24, to mentor children currently in foster care. The goal is that current and former foster children will be able to support each other, share resources and build positive relationships with each other.

Objective 1: To encourage current and former foster youth to mentor current foster youth and to achieve this by organizing outreach activities, such as musical events and mural projects sponsored by Bay Area musicians and artists.

Objective 2: Recruit five current foster youth and pair them with five former foster youth who can mentor them.

Objective 3: To establish a fund to organize quarterly music events, bi-annual mural projects and secure motivational speakers for group homes.

Objective 4: Recruit an adult connecter for every mentor. (An adult connector is a person in the community over the age of 30yrs that our mentors can reach out to for extra support).

Objective 5: Secure additional foundation support.

Objective 6: Secure a therapist to provide support services to our emancipated youth.

Objective 7: To increase awareness of the environment in the inner city.

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Phases of the project

Phase one: Selection process
Since FAF collaborates with CASA (Court appointed Special Advocates), we have access to foster homes and group homes throughout Alameda County. Great relationships have been established and we have many prospects.

Phase two: Matching youth
This is done through evaluation during the training process.

Phase three: Adult Connection
Each young adult who comes into the program as a Mentor must also have an Adult Connection to discuss successes/challenges and will be monitored through a Case Management Program.

Phase four: Scheduling and Organising
Children will meet for two hours once a week with their Mentor.

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Improving Foster Youth Outcomes

With few resources, support or permanent connections to caring adults, a shockingly high number of these youth make the transition from foster care into homelessness; at least 60% of youth emancipating from foster care in Alameda County become homeless within one year (Alameda County Ombudsman's Office). According to the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles, 50% of former foster youth will be unemployed within one year of exiting the system and will earn an average of $6,000 per year, well below the national poverty level of $7,890. Fewer than 10% enroll in college and only 1% actually graduate. Sadly, an astounding 25% will become incarcerated within the first two years after they leave the system. We hope that by providing youth with additional support, these outcomes will begin to improve.

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Strategy 1: Create a regular scheduled meeting place at Youth Uprising to recruit and encourage current and former foster youth to mentor current foster youth.

Strategy 2: Visit foster facilities, First Place Fund of Oakland, Project Independence, ILSP and Youth Uprising to recruit current and former foster youth and build positive relationships with caregivers and organizations.

Strategy 3: Mr. Kennedy will recruit Bay Area musicians/bands for musical performances and guest speaking. He will also recruit community minded individuals to be adult connectors to our mentors.

Strategy 4: Obtain donations from fundraising events and corporations.

Strategy 5: Partner with urbanbrushfier.org to run our mural program.

Strategy 6: Create a training curriculum for current and former foster youth regarding the philosophy of mentoring and environmental issues. Create qualifications for those youth interested in mentoring.

Tactic 1: Encourage foster youth to share their struggles of how they persevered in foster care and have gone on to lead successful lives.

Tactic 2: To advance social justice and community responsibility in the minds and hearts of young adults by giving back to the community.

Tactic 3: Create discussion groups around environmental issues in the inner city: Importance of recycling, nutrition concerns, and environmental efficiency.

Tactic 4: To create an environment that would help to increase community awareness and support for foster programs and the people involved with them.

Tactic 5: Secure foundation support from individuals, philanthropic organizations through grant writers.

Tactic 6: Have mentors and mentees work together on our community projects in-order to raise awareness for FAF.

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Conclusion

"I want to reach foster youth in a way that they can relate...through music and expression. This will give them a chance to connect with people in the community that they admire and make them aware of ways that they can support each other. I want to raise the awareness of environmental and health issues facing inner city youth. By training our mentors and teaching our youth to work together and help each other to make good everyday choices from eating habits to recycling and in finding real alternatives to staying off of drugs. I feel that there is a lack of support in the community for youth who are moving out of foster care into adulthood. They are often failing due to drugs, lack of education, lack of support, etc. Giving young adults an opportunity to be leaders could create awareness in the community.

Recently in the city of Richmond, CA, a group of people in the community got tired of the violence in their city. They started a campaign called "Tent City" in order to curb the violence. I believe taking this type of responsibility for our communities is key and must be the future for our foster youth.

Offering discussions to current and former foster youth on life skills, problem solving for life after foster care and allowing the former foster youth to be a part of this campaign could open their eyes to their own goals and dreams and what it takes to achieve them. We can show them that sometimes the greatest way to help yourself is to help others.

I think it is important to provide a Permanent Adult Connection to all youth leaving foster care. FAF is partnered with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). CASA has a waitlist and a number of youth are not being served by CASAs. This would allow CASA to provide youth on the waitlist with a permanent adult connection, a connection that former foster youth could provide to current foster youth. A connection with someone who has been through some of the same challenges.

I also think that youth participating in this program could benefit from making their communities a healthier place. By taking responsibility for their communities teaching one another on the ways of the environment and how that can impact their lives. This would allow them to learn valuable skills and meet other foster youth.

Youth will receive supervision and training though Fad's mentorship program, and the CASA program.

In summary, giving young adults an opportunity to be leaders could create awareness in the community. Unfortunately, there just aren't enough volunteers to work with all the youth on the CASA waitlist. By creating a program where former foster youth could mentor current foster youth, we are providing them with someone to be there for them, someone who can identify with their struggles and someone who can provide them guidance and resources when emancipating from foster care."

(written by Jerry Kennedy, FAF founder)

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