Arizona’s Department of Child Safety (DCS) Giving Tree Program is a holiday gift-giving program inspired by the idea of one of the agency’s employees who has lived experience in the foster care system. The program matches people and businesses within Arizona with children in foster care to purchase a holiday gift from their wish list. Rayetta Sanchez, the community liaison for DCS credits her colleague for starting the program eight years ago after noting that at times during her placement in foster care, she did not have anyone to spend Christmas with. With over 100 community partners spread across Arizona, 4,500 children in foster care received gifts last year. The organization will likely be able to reach more than 5,000 children this year.



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The Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Florida (CAC) was recently awarded $190,000 in state funding for its Level Up Dads program, a mentoring initiative that seeks to empower fathers to be more involved in their children’s lives. The program pairs fathers and father figures with mentors, called “Dadvocates”, who offer support and guidance to help fathers strengthen relationships with their children. John “JJ” Wheeler, CAC’s director of Prevention, spearheaded this program after looking at the data on outcomes for children who grow up without a strong father figure in their lives and encountering many fathers throughout his career in child welfare who wanted to be more involved in their children’s lives but could benefit from direction and confidence in their ability to do so. 

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With the addition of Virginia Western this fall, every community college in Virginia now offers the Great Expectations program, a holistic support program for students with foster care experience. The program pairs enrolled students with a campus-based coach who helps students navigate financial aid, choose their major, and address any other needs students may have during college. Great Expectations has a highly positive impact on students with foster care experience, with participants in the program graduating at three times the national rate for youth who have been in foster care. Katie Bradley, a student at Central Virginia Community College (CVCC) pursuing an associate’s degree in paramedicine, shares the impact her coach Mickey Paige has had on her life. “Without the program and without his help and his mentorship and stuff like that, I don’t know where I would be. I probably wouldn’t be in school right now,” says Bradley.



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Eileen & Callie’s Place, a nonprofit organization in South King County, Washington, plays a crucial role in supporting and educating young women transitioning out of foster care through mentoring. The organization is dedicated to fostering meaningful connections, providing essential life skills, and connecting individuals with community resources including secure housing and educational support to promote independence. The mentors at Eileen & Callie’s Place undergo training to address the unique needs of each mentee, aiming to establish lasting relationships while empowering the girls to develop confidence and advocate for themselves.



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Earlier this month, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department hosted the “999 for Kids” Christmas event to serve more than 400 children in foster care with disabilities. Taking place at the Sheriff’s Training and Regional Services Center in Whittier, CA, the Mario Bros-themed event included multiple activities such as meeting and getting a picture with Santa Claus, riding a ‘magical’ train, visiting a petting zoo, and receiving gift-wrapped toys. The initiative, established in 1985, serves as a fundraising platform for special items and services such as sport wheelchairs, medically-oriented toys and games, braille machines, computers, special education classes, and an annual Christmas party. Notably, the event's title, “999,” corresponds to the department’s radio code signaling “deputy needs emergency help.”



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UPward Design for Life is a nonprofit organization that is committed to transforming empty residences into homes for community members in Buffalo, NY, who cannot afford furniture. Founder Dionne Williamson expresses her goal of helping people, including young adults who have aged out of the foster care system, find a sense of home as they start over and rebuild their lives. One of the served clients, Lammy Lee, shares her thoughts of feeling inspired and motivated of wanting to do better after receiving furniture. Now, Williamson invites more community members to join and support the organization by donating furniture and volunteering for work.

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A group of public and private agencies have partnered together to reconstruct a former hotel in San Jose – the Pavilion Inn – into affordable and supportive housing for youth who are exiting foster care or experiencing homelessness. Plans for the housing include on-site supports such as peer mentorship, food, employment and mental health counseling. The supportive housing is designed to help young adults become self-efficient and avoid future homelessness. A total of $34.1 million was raised for the conversion by all of the partners. The housing is expected to be finished in summer 2024. “We need to create the kind of housing opportunities that minimize the impact of intergenerational poverty and homelessness,” said Josh Selo, CEO of the Bill Wilson Center, one of the San Jose nonprofits involved in the project.



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