Brighter Futures for our Youth

Last year, Raise the Future connected 299 youth with permanent families, most of whom have been in foster care for over three years due to their older age, connection to a sibling group, ethnicity, or behavioral/physical challenges. Your support helps fund our programs so we can bring a brighter future in reach for youth and families for generations to come. Thanks to you, older youth like Phelan are connected with adults who provide them with non-judgmental, unconditional love and commitment to help them thrive.

Dawn and Matt knew they wanted to adopt, and they had seen Phelan’s profile on our website. The couple was excited to meet Phelan when they attended an event as potential CHOICE mentoring program hosts. “As soon as we started talking to him, it was an instant click,” Dawn said. Phelan enjoyed getting to know Dawn and Matt through activities like group cooking classes and visits to the couple’s home. They took our adoption information class and our Trust Based Relational Intervention® Caregiver Training. Anna, a Raise the Future Connections Advocate, provided intensive family recruitment services for Phelan. She worked with Phelan and his team to identify caring adults in his life that might be potential adoptive resources for him. “Matt, Dawn, and Phelan were just such a great fit,” Anna shared. “I call them my ‘three peas in a pod.’” Phelan’s adoption was finalized on September 30, 2020 – just 5 days before his 18th birthday! He is looking forward to attending college and is grateful that no matter where life leads him, he’ll always have a place to call home with Dawn and Matt.

Success stories like these would not be possible without you. Together we raise the future for youth and ensure that every young person goes through life knowing they have a caring adult by their side.