Three out five youth who age out of Georgia's foster care system plunge into an abyss of drug addiction, justice system involvement, and extended joblessness and homelessness. At a group home of 20 students, that would mean 12 of them won't make a successful transition to adulthood.
With an army of well-intentioned agencies poised and funded to support these youth, it just doesn't seem possible that year after year, so many students are disappearing off the foster care cliff and into the darkness after age 18--in reach, but hidden in the shadows among us, quietly but steadily feeding the cycle that thrusts a new throng of youth into the foster care machine by the thousands.
But that's exactly what's happening. The reason for this is no surprise. In fact, it's the same old problem that usually prevents successful outcomes among well-intentioned stakeholders determined to make a difference: not enough of us are communicating and collaborating on the right things at the right time.
This problem leaves ample gaps between our efforts, and through those gaps they disappear-- the youth who find no confidence in the foster care system's ability to deliver on its promises, and opt to navigate the wilderness poorly equipped with underdeveloped survival skills.
At The Enay Foundation, we are working to mend these gaps. We don't seek to duplicate existing efforts, but to strengthen them by informing, convening, and equipping stakeholders to deliver on our work--to reconcile good intentions with great outcomes.
In early 2022, we founded a statewide awareness and advocacy initiative under our for-profit company called FosterCareForward, working to highlight successes in the system, encourage broader compliance with good policies and reform ineffective ones, and direct resources toward underperforming initiatives that show promise if given a chance. We spent time digging deep into the issues, building partnerships, and laying the groundwork for sustainable engagement. By November 2023 The Enay Foundation was officially born, and absorbed the work of FosterCareForward.
Under the umbrella of our statewide partnerships and working groups, The Enay Foundation is directly engaged in a three-part system of efforts to demonstrate what it takes to close the gaps:
Professional Development & Conflict Resiliency Support for Youth & Caregivers
Fully-Mentored Transition Support
Foster Care to Career Pipeline Support
This triad must be properly placed and properly timed to close the gaps--no exceptions. Stakeholders are already in place and resourced for success. Now we need to talk. Talk and collaborate. Collaborate and innovate for continual improvement. Innovate and share with a mindset of abundance. And all of this must be done with the informed voices of the youth we are here to support.
This is the path to a new horizon for foster care, and we don't accept anything less. What I've shared here only scratches the surface of what we believe is possible, so we hope you'll join us on this journey of big, bold action, because we need you. Once you listen in, you'll begin to notice how your gifts and abilities, and very likely your profession, are more connected to foster care solutions than you might have imagined. That's when we'll see a future brighter than any of us might have ever dreamed before.
Thank you for spending time here, and I look forward to sharing more with you soon.
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