EVERYBODY DESERVES SOMEBODY
What is Don’t Go Alone
A mentorship program for youth who have “aged out” of foster care or have little to no support, offering Christian guidance and life skills support as they transition into adulthood.
What is “Aging Out”
The foster care system is designed to support children through age 18.
Each year in the United States, more than 21,000 young people in the foster care system turn 18, left to navigate adulthood alone.
Our Vision
Every former foster youth and young adult would thrive in life and impact their world from the safety of a healthy connection.
What’s Required of a Mentoring Family
Relationships, even lifelong ones don’t depend on titles, they depend on connection, consistency, and care. We invite you to “step into the story” of an amazing young adult by becoming a Mentoring Adult or Mentoring Family.
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Our program is based on creating lifelong, stable adult connections for young adults who don’t have consistent or healthy family relationships at their disposal as they navigate the path to fully independent adulthood. The success of those relationships is largely determined by our Mentoring Families and their ability to “stick like glue” to the young person in their life; to connect, care, and be consistent.
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Relationships require time and attention. Our Mentoring Families need plenty of availability to give their young adult their time and attention. Additionally, being consistent, caring, and connected as a part of anyone’s life isn’t always convenient or able to fit within a tightly managed “schedule,” so flexibility is a must. Remember when you were in your early 20s? Everything was a “crisis,” and we often called on our own families and meaningfully connected adults to walk with us through them. Our young adults are no different than we were at their age.
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There is both responsibility and accountability that accompanies a successful connection. It’s important that our Mentoring Families accept the responsibility of being invested in the new connection so that it can grow. Please keep in mind, connection does not mean housing. Living together often hinders the self-sufficiency of the young adult and the long-term success of the relationship, so we typically advise against it.
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Our number one goal is to make a great match between a young adult and their Mentoring Family, and for that connection to last a lifetime. Whether your role in their life looks more like a mentor than a mom, or more like a dad or devoted uncle, it doesn’t matter how it’s defined, it only matters that it lasts.
The Process
Step One
Complete Interest Form
Complete an interest form to let us know that you would like to step into the story of a young adult’s life.
This form does not commit you to volunteering with the program, but by submitting your name and contact information, you are agreeing to be contacted by our team for more information.
Step Two
Orientation & Training
From there, you’ll complete an orientation, plus a one-day training course. Our team will email you the link after we’ve received your interest form.
**All Mentoring Families are required to read and sign our Values & Statement of Faith, complete all paperwork on their family history and allow for a background check.
Step Three
Match & Connect
The goal is to be matched with a young adult with similar lifestyle, location, and interests. When we think we have a young adult that you would make a great connection with, our team will send you their profile for review.
Our number one goal is to make a great match between a young adult and their Mentoring Family, and for that connection to last a lifetime.
THE REALITY
21,000
More than 21,000 youth leave foster care each year without reuniting with their parents or having another permanent family home.
71% of girls who age out of the foster care system will become pregnant in the first year.
97% of youth exiting foster care without a stable support system will find themselves in chronic poverty or worse.
70% of trafficking victims report a history of foster care.
50% of children born to older teens in foster care will enter foster care by age 2.
81% of boys who age out of foster care will be arrested, mostly for survival crimes.
100%
100% of children deserve the care and protection of a family.
Statistics from Connections Homes, Incorporated, “Creating Lifelong Connections: Because Everyone Deserves to Belong,” https://connectionshomes.org/.
Don’t Go Alone’s Impact
“Our children were harmed in relationship, and they will come to experience healing in relationship.” - Dr. Karyn Purvis
<1% of boys connected to a Mentoring Family have had any interaction with the law.
<5% of girls connected to a Mentoring Family have experienced unplanned pregnancy.
98% of youth who entered Don’t Go Alone already pregnant or parenting, have maintained care & custody of their kids.
93% of connected youth are completing education goals. 53% are pursuing college or skilled-trade.
95% of youth remain connected and stable in their Mentoring Family relationship.
Statistics courtesy of Connections Homes, Inc. / ConnectionsHomes.org
(1) Monroe, Michael, "Healing the Wounds of Relational Trauma," Empowered to Connect, 02 October, 2013. https://empoweredtoconnect.org/healing-the-wounds-of-relational-trauma/.
FAQs
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There is no set schedule for meeting with a young adult. This will look a little different in every relationship. Some of our mentors meet with their young adults once a week, while others may see each other less frequently, but have regular conversations via call or text. The most important part is that the young adult feels supported by their mentoring family and that the rhythm of contact is sustainable.
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We recommend that our mentors do not provide financial support to their young adults outside of small gifts or meals that they might purchase to celebrate key life accomplishments. We do, however, suggest that our mentors assist young adults in finding community resources if they are struggling with food, rent, or utilities. Our Don’t Go Alone Relationship Managers will be standing by to assist mentoring families with finding the right community resource.
