Raise the Future makes connections for children living in foster care
Since 1983, Raise the Future has found loving homes for 10,735 youth living in foster care. Their Youth Connections Advocates use an evidence-based strategy to find and connect youth in foster care with people from their past. The goal is to build a network of caring adults that will help that young person navigate their way to adulthood.
"One of the biggest parts of our jobs is going through the child's file, and those files can be very challenging to read those stories," said Sam Matras, a Youth Connections Advocate for Raise the Future. "It can be very challenging to read those stories, but it makes you a lot more empathetic, and it makes you understand the kids better."
When a child goes into foster care, they don't just lose their biological parents, they also lose their friends, teachers, and coaches who've been an influence in their lives. Youth Connections Advocates reach out to those lost connections to try to rebuild a support system for those youth.
"When a kid starts to have this village of support they feel that, whether they can really verbalize that, that's one thing, but I think they feel that," Matras explained.
Another big part of the YCA's job is to spend time getting to know the young people on their case load. They spend time with each of them every month.
"Just showing them that someone is truly invested and cares for them," said Stephanie DeBruyne, a Youth Connections Advocate. "Their voice should very much be leading the conversation in all this and matters the most."
A 2018 report from the Colorado Department of Human Services showed that 70-percet of youth in foster care that get Raise the Future's services were adopted.
"Ensuring that they feel heard and valued and whatever it is that they really, really want for themselves happens, whatever that looks like," DeBruyne said.
LINK: Donate to Raise the Future
You can support Raise the Future by making a donation during A Day for Wednesday's Child. To make a donation call 303-755-3975, or text DWC2023 to 71777, or click the link above.
