Fostering Futures.
Empowering a generation of thriving adults.
“Numerous studies show that caring relationships are the most critical factor promoting healthy and successful development for young people... When adults take an active interest in young people, show them respect, have compassion for their circumstances and actively listen to and talk with them...
these relationships help young people build communication and conflict management skills, concern for others, and a sense of belonging... Some young people in foster care have described their relationships with supportive adults as turning points in their lives."
The Jim Casey Youth Opportunities
Older youth in foster care are one of the most vulnerable populations in this country. They are less likely to reach a permanent home and may languish in the foster care system for years before aging out, which happens to hundreds of young people every year in West Virginia. Fostering Futures is a program that pairs CASA volunteer advocates with children who will age out of the foster care system. For more information on volunteering to work with children in our new Fostering Futures program, please fill out an inquiry form.
We believe high school graduation, living wage employment, a place to live, a healthy, thriving adulthood is within reach of every youth aging out of foster care. To help every single youth achieve their potential, National CASA/GAL Association for Children launched a multi-year initiative to strengthen our service to the transition age youth we already serve and expand our services to more young people preparing for adult life after the foster care system.
While poor outcomes are more likely, they are not inevitable. One key to overcoming these odds is resilience. We now know that caring adult figures are essential to helping young people bounce back from difficult experiences and develop healthy responses to conflict and stress. Our volunteers listen, they follow up, they help youth set goals and support children in identifying lasting connections and building a network of supports.
Our network of highly trained Fostering Futures Volunteers can be a powerful vehicle for implementing evidence based practices to move the needle for this vulnerable population. Every Fostering Futures volunteer willl receive additional rigorous training to help make sure every youth we serve achieves educational success, finds a living wage job or gets trained in a trade, finds housing and can access resources so that they can live healthy, fulfilling lives.
Our volunteers are uniquely positioned to make a life-changing difference for older youth in foster care, but we need more of them. Under Fostering Futures, we will employ innovative strategies to expand our volunteer workforce so every young person preparing for adulthood has the support and powerful advocacy of a volunteer.