Fostering Youth Independence (FYI), a Santa Clarita Valley non-profit, reminds the public that May is National Foster Care Month as the organization continues its mission to make a difference in the lives of Santa Clarita’s foster youth.
May is National Foster Care Month, and non-profit FYI is reminding the Santa Clarita Valley about its continuing mission to support foster youth in and around the area, as well as what the public can do to help.
“In 2018, there were 437,000 children in foster care nationwide, and over 20,000 foster youth aged out between the ages of 18 and 21 without being adopted or reunified with their birth families,” said Carolyn Olsen, co-founder of FYI. “It would be easy to look at the numbers and conclude that the problem is too big for any of us to make an impact. But, together we are making a difference!”
FYI thrives off of the support of enlisted adults who team up with foster youth to become a parental support system, known as “allies,” according to officials.
“Since 2017, FYI’s volunteers and donors have been making a meaningful difference in the lives of Santa Clarita’s foster youth,” Olsen said. “Because of you, FYI’s youth have found the love and support they never had and the tools they need to succeed in school and life! When you volunteer at FYI, you show a youth that they matter!”
See Related: Local Non-Profit Seeks Volunteer Allies To Support Foster Youth In Santa Clarita
One student named Shanya, in a previous KHTS story, shared how the FYI program turned things around for her, after losing her mother, having her father taken to prison and going through the foster system.
“I had met at a conference (sic) a counselor at the time and she had stated at (FYI) ‘we have a program that’s here to help and we can provide you with support and loving and caring allies that will help you nurture yourself and become a better you’ pretty much,” Shanya said, “I was kind of doubtful because of all of the experiences that I had been through in my life.”
After joining FYI and being paired with an Ally, Shanya transferred from College of the Canyons to UC Irvine, and has since graduated with two Bachelor’s degrees.
“We can’t wait to get together with our community to celebrate milestones like graduations and back-to-school,” Olsen said about the coming months. “We also want to take this time to celebrate the amazing, resilient young people who have placed their trust in FYI and allowed us to be part of their journeys. FYI’s youth inspire and motivate us every single day.”
To find out about different ways to make a difference in the lives of Santa Clarita’s foster youth, click here.
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