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Mentoring for Youth
in Foster Care
An estimated 518,000 children in the U.S. are living in foster care, receiving 24-hour substitute care outside of their own homes. They face major challenges that can profoundly influence their development. One key challenge is the lack of a consistent, caring adult in their lives. Children in care often move from one home to the next until they “age out” of care, in most states at the age of 18.
Each year, approximately 20,000 young people age out. During this crucial transition period, they are at risk for a number of adverse outcomes, including homelessness, alcohol and drug abuse, dependence on public assistance, unemployment, pregnancy, and involvement in the criminal justice system. Studies have shown that a volunteer mentor--a trusted adult who becomes a consistent and caring adult in a young person’s life--can play a crucial role in easing the transition to independent living.
Programs have been established throughout the United States to link youth in care with volunteers from the community who want to become a mentor and make a difference in a young person’s life. The programs provide training for new volunteers, and ongoing staff support is available to assist them.
Studies have shown that consistency in the mentoring relationship is especially critical for youth in care. They experience multiple transitions, with adults coming in and out of their lives as they move from home to home, in some cases as many as four to five times before they age out of the system. A mentor can play a crucial role-- a familiar adult, a consistent caring role model. Some mentoring programs require that mentors make a one-year commitment and often encourage longer commitments, if possible.
Mentoring USA's Foster Care Mentoring Program serves youth 7-18 years of age who are in care in the New York City area. This program was the first mentoring program in the U.S. to specifically address the needs of youth in care.
AFC Mentoring, based in Boston, MA, provides one-on-one mentoring for youth in foster & adoptive care. The program pairs the youth with adult volunteers, who become positive role models, as well as friends to the youth. Some of these mentors have themselves been in the foster care system.
Although youth in care face special challenges, many go on to become successful young adults, often with the support and encouragement of a mentor.
Antwone Fisher, screenwriter of the film Antwone Fisher based on his childhood in foster care, put it this way in an interview: “Strangers who have come into my life, and left me with encouraging words and the feeling of worth, they are my ‘family.’ Some of them I still know, some of them I don't know. But they are mentors, and they're my family.”
Additional Resources:
Adoption and Foster Care Mentoring
www.afcmentoring.org
Mentoring USA
www.mentoringusa.org
Rowell Foster Children's Positive Plan
www.rowellfosterchildren.org
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