Vulnerable Youth in Child Welfare
Transforming Lives and Expanding Opportunities for Children and Youth in Foster Care
The Foundation’s overarching goal for all youth to be self-sustaining, responsible, and contributing members of their communities and society can only be realized if additional support is provided to those vulnerable youth most in need. Therefore, the Foundation specifically targets significant resources, energy, and staff to individuals and organizations assisting those young people who face much more challenging circumstances and are most likely to benefit from additional support.
To this end, the Foundation partners with public and private child welfare agencies to systemically provide resources and services to children and youth in foster care to realize long-term, positive outcomes in five focus areas: Safety, Permanency, Well Being, Educational Opportunities, and Youth, Family, and Community Engagement. We believe that targeted investment by all partners will result in improved outcomes for foster youth.
Our Values
Our aspirations for foster youth are the same as those we have for our own children.
Every child in foster care needs a lifelong connection to a caring, committed adult.
Educational opportunities are critical for foster youth to successfully transition to adulthood.
Extraordinary outcomes occur in the context of vibrant, authentic partnerships.
Four core strategies guide our work in child welfare:
- We analyze and act by scanning the environment for gaps in services and supports for foster youth and nimbly acting upon opportunities to improve their life trajectories.
- We generate new energy and support detailed execution of improved social work practices by instilling a sense of urgency and dissonance with current practice and outcomes while providing a powerful vision for what is possible.
- We invest in irresistible information by supporting outcomes and accountability systems, creating tools and training designed to advance change at each practice level and targeting communication to move policy.
- We engage in powerful partnerships by working with frontline child welfare implementers to understand barriers and opportunities, leveraging public and private resources with other investors, and providing compelling information to decision makers.