Fostering Advocates Arizona

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Aging Out of Care: The Beauty

June 12, 2019 by FAAZWebAdmin Leave a Comment

Lori, Mentor and Sora, Young Adult Leadership Board Member

I entered foster care at the age of 15. Like most youth who enter care as a teenager, I bounced around to many placements. As a trans-youth, it was especially hard for me to build connections and find a placement where I would be accepted. DCS struggled to continue to find me new placements. It got so bad that I had to spend my 17th birthday sleeping in an office building because they couldn’t find a placement for me. Fortunately, around this time I entered the THRIVE program and was paired with my mentor, Lori, who provided me with much-needed support to help me as I transitioned out of care.

THRIVE is a mentorship program offered through Arizona’s Children Association. It is designed to provide support to youth ages 16 to 21 who have or will be transitioning out of foster care. THRIVE works with young adults to match them with a mentor based off on their interests.

Lori was not my first mentor in this program. Before her, I was paired with a man who ended up being removed from the THRIVE program because he was not helping the youth who he mentored. When I was told they had a new mentor for me, I was very apprehensive. Like many teens in care, I had trouble trusting that someone was there for me. THRIVE thankfully has a trial period to make it easy for youth to decide that a mentor is or is not a good fit, so I took a leap of faith and met Lori, who has since changed my life.

Lori and I were not the perfect pair when we first met. I thought Lori was loud and obnoxious, and she didn’t understand what it meant to be trans. We disagreed on a lot of things, but we both stuck it out and got through the adjustment period, and she since has become a significant support in my life.

I disrupted from a placement at 17, just a couple months before my 18th birthday. Lori took legal custody over me to make sure I could get back on my feet and has continued to be there for me ever since then. She helps me when I need guidance on things like housing or education, and even if we disagree, I know I always have someone I can reach out to and that Lori will set any disputes aside to be there for me. We celebrate holidays together, Lori and her partner take me out for my birthdays, something I never celebrated while in care, and they treat me like family. Young adults in care may have a lot of support from DCS workers, and other program staff, but we all want that personal relationship that a mentor provides. I am will always be grateful for having Lori in my life to provide just that.

This blog was written by Sora, Young Adult Leadership Board Member for FAAZ. You can read more about Sora here.

Filed Under: Advocacy, Aging Out Tagged With: aging out, Foster Care Mentors, Foster Care Young Adults, Fostering Advocates Arizona, grateful, I Speak Change, Mentors, THRIVE, Thrive Mentor Program, trans, transgender, Young Adult Leadership Board, young adults, youth in foster care

Attending Arizona State University? Jump Start Your Success as an Alumni of Foster Care!!

July 27, 2015 by FAAZWebII Leave a Comment

Bridging Success Early-Start Flier 2015

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Arizona Children's Association, Arizona State University, Arizona State University resources, ASU, ASU resources, ASU resources former foster youth, ASU resources foster youth, Bridging Success, Bridging Success August 9-14, Bridging Success Early-Start, Casey Family Programs, Children's Action Alliance, College Career ASU, Former Foster Youth, Former foster youth attending ASU, Foster Care, Foster Care Aluumni, Foster Care Mentors, Foster Care Young Adults, FosterClub, Fostering Advocates Arizona, gain new skills asu, gain new skills former foster youth, gain new skills foster youth, Get Acclimated on Campus ASU, Jennifer Geiger, jmullins@asu.edu, Jump Start on College Career ASU, Meet friends ASU, Meet friends ASU foster youth, Meet new friends ASU former foster youth, Opportunity Passport Arizona, Opportunity Passport™, Phoenix Downtown, Sign up ASU, Thrive Mentor Program

# Be College Ready

June 22, 2015 by FAAZWebII Leave a Comment

As a young adult, have you ever felt obtaining a college degree was not in your reach? Or, are you still in high school and busy thinking about all the other things you need to do when you turn 18 and graduate? If you answered yes, we are here to let you know that achieving your educational goals is possible and it is never too early to “Be College Ready”.

girl_graduatingMore importantly, you do not have to tackle this endeavor alone! College Success Arizona wants to see you complete college while providing you the support and resources to succeed and improve your quality of life.

College Success Arizona awards scholarships to individuals with financial challenges to enhance their ability to receive a college degree. “The professional mentoring supports we provide along with the scholarships are the key ingredient in helping our scholars persist in and graduate from college.”

In order to further support young adults educational attendance, College Success Arizona provides scholarships only to students who are part of their College Preparatory Partner Organizations. Students who meet eligibility requirements and are active members of these partner organizations will be eligible to apply for their 2016-2017 academic year scholarships.

Click here, to read more about College Success Arizona and to become a student of one of their College Preparatory Partners so you can ensure your educational road to success!

Filed Under: Education, Programs Tagged With: Children's Action Alliance, College Success Arizona, Foster Care, Foster Care Mentors, Foster Care Young Adults, Foster children, foster youth, Fostering Advocates Arizona

“Take Me Back to the Ball Game” and Help Foster Youth Connect to Mentors

April 15, 2015 by FAAZWebII Leave a Comment

D-Backs for THRIVE

Filed Under: Aging Out Tagged With: Arizona Children's Association, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baseball, Chase Field, Children's Action Alliance, Events May 8th Arizona, Foster Care, Foster Care Aluumni, Foster Care Mentors, Foster Care Young Adults, FosterClub, Fostering Advocates Arizona, Mentors, Phoenix Downtown, San Diego Padres, San Diego Padres vs Arizona Diamondbacks, THRIVE, Thrive Mentor Program

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Copyright by Fostering Advocates Arizona at Children's Action Alliance (CAA). The information included on this website is gathered by CAA. The organizations included on the website are not endorsed by CAA or Fostering Advocates Arizona. We welcome suggestions to improve this website. Please email fosteringadvocatesaz@gmail.com.