Leadership Broward Foundation’s Post

"Engaging Youth. Building Supports. Strengthening Opportunities.", the theme for National Foster Care Awareness Month observed each year in May, shines a light on how we can best support young people and help them successfully transition to adulthood. It's always a good check with local organizations to find out what’s needed, and here are just a few ideas to think about! 1. ADVOCATE ~ Volunteer to become a Court Appointed Special Advocate. 2. GET CREATIVE. ~ Help a child feel more at home when moving from place to place with a handmade blanket. 3. SEND A CARE PACKAGE. ~ It’s tough when youth in college are living in dorms and may have nowhere else to go. 4. PROVIDE COMFORT ~ Entering foster care can be scary, and comfort items can go a long way to ease fears. 5. ORGANIZE ~ Consider hosting a drive at a community center, house of worship or other neighborhood gathering place. 6. DONATE or RAISE funds. 7. EDUCATE ~ If you or someone you know has been impacted by foster care, speak up! Young people need and deserve more than a plastic bag and boot in the bum when they turn 18. 8. ENCOURAGE ~ Extended trauma can erase or alter young memories. Help a child remember the good times by gifting them a diary or memory book they can customize. 9. VOLUNTEER ~ If you’re a licensed caregiver, giving an organization’s staff a night out on the town while kids enjoy treats and a movie while being cared for in a safe, friendly environment is a great way to donate your time! 10. GET THE KIDS INVOLVED ~ A great project for youth groups to get involved and make a difference is to send a birthday celebration in a box to kids in foster care. 11. LEAD ~ Consider sharing your experience, skills and expertise helping young people prepare for adulthood, e.g., developing marketable skills, resume writing, completing an employment application, dressing to impress, and interview techniques. 12. MENTOR ~ Help change the trajectory of a young person’s life! Many organizations need people committed to ensuring positive outcomes for youth in care. 13. SUPPORT ~ Give care providers and resource families a temporary break when emergencies arise! #nationalfostercareawarenessmonth #alliancems

“I Will Never Forget That I Could Have Lived With People Who Loved Me” I remember the first time I read this quote from Sixto Cancel's op-ed in the The New York Times. If you are someone who’s ever been convicted - bothered - passionate - curious - about changing the state of the foster system - this is THE leader you’ve been searching for. And the movement of Think of Us needs you. Let me explain. In another life, I was a pediatric fundraiser for my local hospital. And once you’ve worked in this business, you see the good/bad/ugly kids and their families experience on their way to good health. And the stories of children removed from their homes and families are the ones that shake you to your core. And if you’re like me, you feel helpless, outraged + paralyzed by the system. So we show up and give what we can - all without understanding how to attack the root problem. But we found someone who is. Sixto and the Think of Us team are the change. And they’re doing something novel - not just speaking to case workers, attorneys, therapists - they’re talking directly to the kids on the frontlines of this crisis. They're allowing their voices + needs to lift. And that qualitative data is shifting the story + focus. Why does he care? Because he was one of them. “I had been in foster care since I was 11 months old because of my mother’s drug addiction and poverty. Adopted at age 9 by a racist and abusive woman, I was locked out of the house at age 13. For two years, I couch-surfed with friends, then entered foster care again. I was told I was loved, that I was a part of a family, yet I would always find myself moved to a new placement, with all my stuff in a trash bag.” There were more than 355,000 children in the U.S. foster care system in 2023. Sixto’s lived experience fuels this movement to end institutional placements + reform our foster care system by listening, gathering & activating. Here’s good news - this movement is growing + gaining international attention. And recently received one of the highly coveted Audacious Project grants from TED Conferences to the tune of $47.5M🤩 The shift it’s creating to attack this issue is not just hopeful - it’s revolutionary. Hear more about how this grant was secured in yesterday’s We Are For Good podcast episode with Sixto (link in comments). But if you want to hear this entire story (and be inspired!) - come hear Sixto keynote at the 2024 Responsive Nonprofit Summit we're thrilled to present with our friends at Virtuous. It’s free! And I can promise that paralyzing feeling will fade as you get activated. Sign up here 👉 https://vrtuo.us/49r8IhW TOU is flexing storytelling + systems + data + advocacy into one nexus to drive BIG change that's attacking the root. Wow. #impactuprising in action! Special shoutout to Lola A. for introducing us. “Every child deserves to know love, to be a part of a family.” Get educated about #kinshipcare + follow Sixto. We can all be a light to others.

Recipient Update 📣 KidsVoice continues to do amazing work since receiving our giving circle funds at our Q4 2023 event. Garth Graeper, the Director of Development for KidsVoice shared the following update: "These funds helped KidsVoice pilot a program that focuses on achieving better outcomes for children in foster care by proactively identifying and addressing the needs of their grandparents who are primary caregivers, in addition to the children’s needs. Nearly half of children placed with family members are placed with grandparents, who often do everything they can to keep siblings together but may feel overwhelmed by having to make immediate decisions related to a child’s complex medical needs or their learning disability, for example. KidsVoice helps grandparents address the wide range of a child’s needs, so the grandparents can instead focus on building a safe and positive home life for the child. In another innovative pilot project begun over the past year, KidsVoice is collaborating with UPMC to address the medical needs and gaps in care of former foster youth related to “social determinants of health” in McKeesport and beyond. KidsVoice advocacy helps remove roadblocks for these young adults related to housing, employment, and healthcare engagement. Attached is a photo from our 2024 Kites for Kids event, a fun, annual community event at the Carnegie Science Center that raises awareness about the challenges that children in foster care face. In general, we use a lot of stock art since client-confidentiality prevents us from sharing photos of the children we work with." Please visit the KidsVoice page to learn more about how you can help! #community #childreninneed #nonprofits #pittsburgh

You Our Online event happening Tonight at 7:30 Uk time, 2:30pm Us time We have 4 incredible speakers who have inspiring stories and so much value to share. So if you want to network and be inspired connect with myself we have a LinkedIn event page you can sign up and your first time attending the event is FREE. speakers we have Dan S. Brown (DSB Relentless) ESSEX BOY, WILD AT HEART, DRIVEN BY A MISSION TO IMPACT A BILLION LIVES After navigating my way out of homelessness and advancing through a wild life of challenging circumstances, I founded Positive Transformation, took on the steepest, most dynamic section of the Nile, and won. In taking on the Nile I became one of a few rafters to complete Murchison Falls, bringing the total number of people to complete the river up to about 25, roughly .06% of the 4,000+ who have stood atop Mt. Everest. Ben French Ben's journey is truly inspiring; despite leaving school without GCSEs, he's navigated a remarkable career trajectory. Starting from the ground up in security and retail management, Ben's perseverance led him to pursue a business degree at 28 while working in children's residential care. Climbing the ranks to senior positions, he eventually founded his first regulated home for investors, paving the way for his entrepreneurial ventures. Today, Ben's entrepreneurial spirit shines through as he leads not just one but five successful companies, including his own children’s home and a recruitment agency specializing in health and social care—a testament to his unwavering dedication to helping others. Aaliyah Fozol Aaliyah is a lived experience consultant and facilitator with a passion to transform the lives of care experienced young people through collaboration. Bringing a unique blend of personal care experience and professional expertise, she is dedicated to advocating for meaningful system change and amplifying the voices of care experienced young people. Aaliyah has various roles working with local authorities to support quality assurance for children’s residential placements, delivering training programmes to PAs and social workers and recruiting new foster carers. Outside of this, Aaliyah works in the charity and youth sector to meaningfully collaborate and enhance the support and opportunities that the non-profit sector can provide to young people. Aaliyah’s ambition is to create a future where young people in care have the opportunity to thrive because of being in care rather than the few who thrive despite being in care. Sharon Dunlevy Educational Advocate for Children in Foster Care I Foster Care Training Consultant | Top 10 Finalist Voice of Purpose Speech Competition | Fan Favorite Unicorn Talks Speech Competition See you all later, it’s going to be a great Online event.

TITLE: The Day I Stopped Crying: A Journey Towards Belonging AUTHOR: Victor Emmanuel Sims GENRE: Memoir The author is a senior associate at the Annie E Casey Foundation, a charitable foundation focused on improving the well-being of American children and youth. FROM AMAZON: Belonging In Foster Care: A Journey of Belonging. Individuals in foster care, and professionals who work within child welfare, will find an outlook of what it means to find belonging and the importance of finding belonging after being in a place of trauma. This book will help provide a pathway for those who have experienced foster care to answer questions, discover purpose, and reignite life with a renewed spirit. This book will also provide insight to professionals, foster parents, and those considering stepping up for children in the foster care system. Victor Sims lived in Polk County, Florida for his entire childhood. Shortly after his birth he would enter into a foster care system and work to find what it means to be a child without a parent, a home, a community, or an identity. This is a page-turning memoir that will open your eyes to a child's journey into finding his place in the world.. It all comes down to one simple but powerful word "Belonging". If interested, you can order a copy of The Day I Stopped Crying: A Journey Towards Belonging on Amazon at https://lnkd.in/egEsYhy4. This book is part of the ongoing Connect Our Kids' Uncurated List of Foster Care Books series, where we bring awareness to books featuring foster care. If you’ve read it, let us know below! If you have a foster care book suggestion, please comment or send it to [email protected]. Thanks! Support our mission by clicking the link https://lnkd.in/giYhTX_A. #ConnectOurKidsUncuratedList #ConnectOurKidsFosterCareBooksAwareness #ConnectOurKidsRaisingVoices #FosterCare #VictorEmmanuelSims #AnnieECasseyFoundation #TheDayIStoppedCrying #Memoir #FosterCare

Defy the Odds. This has been the motto I live by each day. Many odds were stacked against me as a teenager in foster care, but through the support of friends and those in my corner I kept my eyes on the future full of opportunity and knew my purpose was greater than the circumstance. I am a big supporter of Non-Profit organizations like “The CALL” who step up and support families that open their homes! I was pumped to share my story on a panel with “The CALL” organization to help advocate their vision! 👏 The truth is there are MANY children and teens that don’t have a true home. Many often end up in crowded group homes… I know I stayed in a temporary group home and it was not ideal for ther long term. These are facilities not bedrooms. These are people you live with not a loving family to grow with! A few stats about youth in Foster Care: - Over 4,500 children are in foster care in Arkansas alone. - Less than 5% of Foster Care youth obtain a college degree. - Highschool drop out rates are 3X higher. - Only 50% of kids who age out of foster care achieve gainful employment by age of 24. The outcomes are normally not great for youth that age out of care. I hope my story is one that can inspire others to support children in care and help empower them to reach their full potential because their upbringing doesn’t have to define their future. Let’s change this narrative! Let’s celebrate more success stories! 🙏 🎉 #advocate #fostercare #impact #speaker #TheCALL #support

May is National Caregivers Month in Canada and I am busy reading the US National Caregiving Strategy. Cormac Russell did you know they recommend Asset Based Community Development? Pg 59 Outcome 3.4: Family caregivers and families have safe places to live, nutritious food, and adequate transportation. All people should have access to adequate and safe housing, proper nutrition, and access to medical appointments and other transportation-related necessities. Without access to these fundamental requirements of daily living, family caregivers will face daily struggles. As a public health issue, effective family caregiver support efforts must include a focus on the five domains of the social determinants of health: ■ Economic stability and security (including freedom from workplace discrimination) ■ Education access and quality ■ Health care access and quality ■ Neighborhood and built environment ■ Social and community context. To increase the effectiveness of high-quality, setting-appropriate, caregiver-defined services, numerous stakeholders can explore innovative ways to implement programs that support safe, accessible, and intergenerational housing, nutrition, transportation, elder wellness, and quality of life. For example, Asset Based Community Development is a growing movement that assesses the resources, skills, and experience available in a local community and uses them as the foundation of sustainable community development.   https://lnkd.in/g2zetFH7 Healthy Aging Alberta International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC)

As a startup founder and an adoptive parent to kids formerly in foster care, I've faced my share of challenges. We often hear about how tough it is to be a startup founder - and it is. But I can tell you from experience: being an adoptive parent is often even harder. Yet, our kids are the ones pushing through incredible odds to achieve and thrive. Our family was matched through the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption's Wendy's Wonderful Kids program, and I am so thrilled to see Olympian Kenny Bednarek share his story with such beautiful vulnerability to raise awareness for this wonderful organization (please consider a donation). Kenny’s story has all the feels for me, especially this quote: Though Kenny had the stability of a permanent, loving family, as a child, he struggled with the impact of being in foster care. He had difficulty processing his emotions and trusting those around him. As a response to the experiences he had been through, he’d sometimes act out in anger or frustration. “When I was in high school, I loved sports, but I also had a lot of feelings of insecurity and a lack of belonging,” recalled Kenny. Trauma and trust issues in foster children often lead them to underachieve, reacting differently to rules, structure, and stability compared to other children. Their past life experiences leave deep scars, creating insecurities and a profound internal anger often directed towards adoptive parents or anyone showing up for them with genuine love, expectations, and structure. This reaction may seem irrational—one would expect them to crave the stability they need. But, almost every adoption story tells this same story. This anger and the resulting behaviors frequently derail these kids, particularly during their teen and early adult years, leading them to struggle. But, for those like Kenny who put the work in to learn to trust again and embrace real love, rules, structure, and support, the potential for success is enormous. Every day, I am amazed by my children's resilience. They are not just overcoming obstacles; they are actively rewriting their life stories. My 17-year-old, in particular, is working hard on himself and our family bond and he’s achieving big goals, including plans for his education and beyond. It's awesome. Go for gold, Kenny!! #AdoptiveParenting #FosterCare #Adoption #NeverTooOldForFamily #Resilience #olympics

Elijah’s journey began at the age of 4 when he entered the foster care system. He spent about 5 years (1,734) days in foster care, where he was separated from his younger biological sister. Read below to learn more about Elijah’s incredible story ⬇️ #fostercare #nonprofit #adoption #fosterlove

DO YOU HAVE 60 SECONDS? Learn what it means to “age out of the system”? CLICK HERE: https://lnkd.in/gr8k7TQH + SHARE to participate in Foster Care Awareness Month!) 💙 This video features Youth Radio’s Noel Anaya, who entered foster care when he was a year old. He recently “aged out” of the system at age 21. He says the process feels like emancipating from a system that was never that good at caring for him. Want to know a little more about “aging out”? Even if you live in a state that has extended foster care benefits, your time in foster care won’t last forever. In nearly all of these states, you’ll “age out” by the time you reach 21. In California, for example, that means you’ll lose your guaranteed housing placement, living stipend, and access to your court-appointed lawyer. There are programs that can help you with some of these needs, but that depends on availability and whether you have children. However, you will retain your educational benefits like priority enrollment in state colleges. And under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, you’ll also retain access to health care until you’re 26. You can support youth aging out of the system by participating in our 30-day fundraiser to supply them with a “Next Step Kit”. https://lnkd.in/g7QMKVyK