For over 30 years, Friends of the Children has empowered youth and families impacted by foster care. Our enrollment focuses on youth highest at risk of entering — or already involved in — the child welfare system.
At least 30% of youth have experienced out-of-home placement and 30% of caregivers have experienced foster care themselves.
Promote safe, well-supported children in families
Provide hope-inspiring services that mitigate trauma
Prevent further involvement with the child welfare system
In partnership with child welfare systems, schools and community-based organizations, Friends of the Children invites children ages 4-6 and pairs them with a salaried, professional mentor - called a Friend - who stays with them from pre-kindergarten through graduation – 12+ years, no matter what.
We work with partners to identify families along the child and family well-being continuum to ensure that our model is serving the children and families who need us most. Ultimately we want all parents to have the supports they need to be the parents they want to be, and for all kids to get to be kids – living safely at home with their families.
In 2019 Los Angeles County Supervisors asked Friends of the Children to support families most at risk of entry into care in the Antelope Valley, the region of the county with the highest rates of reports to the child welfare hotline. Six years later, not a single child in that initial cohort has entered care.
Carmen is a survivor of domestic violence and is raising her children as a single mother while her husband is incarcerated. Her daughter, Ana* is enrolled in the Friends of the Children program. Shortly after entering the program, the family came to the attention of the child welfare system due to safety risks. Leveraging deep community connections, Friends of the Children partnered with Carmen to improve the family’s living conditions and ensure the children had a safe place to be while she was at work. Friends of the Children also connected the family to after-school programming, therapy and a domestic violence survivor program. As Carmen engaged in services and grew in confidence as a parent, Ana began to blossom in school, raising her hand in class and discovering a love of reading. Carmen’s story is proof that foster care prevention is possible with trusted, no matter what support from programs like Friends of the Children.
Carmen’s story is proof that foster care prevention is possible with trusted, no matter what support from programs like Friends of the Children.
*Youth name changed to protect privacy
Data from a 6-year pilot project show that when families at highest risk of foster care entry have a Friend, children don't go into care: Not a single child with a Friend has entered the system.
Preliminary data from our multi-site randomized controlled trial are showing shorter lengths of stay and fewer foster home placements for children in the program.
Data from a 5-year pilot project show that in families that are reunified, no child with a Friend has re-entered the foster care system.
The work Friends do with youth and caregivers is highly individualized and intentional. About 30% of our caregivers were in foster care as a child and 60% of those who had been in care, aged out of care as adults. Our two-generation approach works with caregivers to build parenting skills, empower systems navigation and self-advocacy, and meet concrete needs. Here's what caregivers have to say about Friend's impact:
