MEETING THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF UNDERSERVED YOUTH
Hispanic, Black and LGBTQ+ youth are overrepresented AND underserved in foster care. They remain in foster care longer, are adopted less frequently, and must overcome both discrimination, trauma, and foster care hurdles to find success.
Ticket to Dream's Ally program aims to serve these youths' individualized unmet needs to boost self worth and future success.
ALLY:
A person who makes an intentional decision to understand, empathize, and act in support of others.
BLACK FUTURES MATTER
For nearly a quarter of the youth that we serve, not only do they have to process being in foster care, but they also have to bear the weight of racism & bias,
whether conscious or not, because of the color of their skin.
How we are creating change in the system:
- Supporting kinship placements
- Providing diverse books, toys, and ethnically appropriate hygiene items and services
- Supporting the recruitment and retention of black foster and adoptive parents, and mentors
- Provide cultural training to all foster parents
FOSTER PRIDE
Many LGBTQ+ youth enter foster care after experiencing family rejection. While in care, they are more likely to experience discrimination, abuse, neglect, and the risk of harm.
Ticket to Dream is an ally to every child experiencing foster care regardless of gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.
How we are creating change in the system:
- Recruit and retain supportive and affirming foster and adoptive parents, and mentors
- Supporting self-expression through specific essential items such as clothing, hair, and room decor
- Providing parent and staff training to best support LGBTQ+ foster youth
- Supporting therapeutic services that allow foster youth to heal from past trauma, family rejection, and bullying
HISPANIC HERITAGE
Hispanic and Latino children are overrepresented in foster care and many have the added stress of not speaking the language spoken in their foster home, court and social services system.
For all foster children, connecting to their heritage and culture can be difficult. Being intentional about giving foster and adoptive children opportunities to incorporate their heritage
into everyday life can have a positive impact on their development.
How we are creating change in the system:
- Funding celebration of hispanic cultural holidays or traditions
- Providing diverse and culturally inclusive books, toys, and ethnically appropriate hygiene items and services
- Funding ESL tutoring and translation services
- Recruiting and retaining Spanish speaking foster and adoptive parents, and mentors
- Supporting kinship placements