Dare To Dream Program | Austin Angels

WHY YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE NEED YOU

More than 1 in 5 former foster youth will become homeless after age 18

3% of former foster youth will graduate from college

33% of youth who age out of care have been in 3+ placements

Young people who have grown up within the foster care system have experienced instability in their lives and often disproportionately suffer with learning disabilities, limited life skills, health issues, and emotional and behavioral struggles that lead to negative developmental outcomes. Youth who age out of foster care without having been adopted or reunified with their families have less financial, emotional, and social support than their peers, yet they are often expected to be as self-sufficient as those who have familial support and guidance.

The heart of the Dare to Dream program is to walk alongside youth as they navigate through life's challenges. The youth in our Dare to Dream program need the wisdom, advice, encouragement, and community that mentors can provide. Mentors meet practical and emotional needs as well as provide guidance through developmental milestones. The goal is for youth to be engaged and to feel supported and equipped to navigate life. A mentor commits to meeting with the youth every other week to set goals and help them achieve their dreams. These relationships will hopefully last a lifetime, but the program is a year commitment. Mentors matched with a high school student are strongly encouraged to stay with the youth until high school graduation.

We tell mentors that the simple act of telling their youth “I believe in you,” “You are special,” and “You are going to do great things” can change their path completely.

RELATIONSHIP QUALITY BETWEEN VOLUNTEERS, CAREGIVERS, AND YOUTH

of volunteers and 95% of caregivers indicated that they valued the personal experiences they had with their match(es)

of volunteers and 87% of caregivers reported high levels of mutual trust

of caregivers felt their mentor/volunteer had made a positive impact on their family

Hear from a Dare to Dream mentee, Tyler:

Hear from a Dare to Dream mentor, Rebecca:

MENTORS PROVIDE GUIDANCE THROUGH
DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES SUCH AS:

Obtaining a driver license

Building healthy relationships

Post-graduate plans

Creating healthy habits

PROGRAM DIVERSITY

We serve children, youth, and families as well as recruit volunteers from all backgrounds within our local community, regardless of religion, marital status, ethnicity, age, financial status, gender identity, or sexual orientation because:

We believe everyone deserves and can benefit from deep, meaningful relationships. We believe in being bridge builders, connecting over a shared passion of improving the foster care system through a community-based approach. We believe that every child, youth, and family experiencing foster care deserves to be fully seen, heard, and supported by healthy, affirming, and lasting relationships. We believe that every single one of us has a role to play in changing the way children, youth, and families experience foster care, and that it will take a diverse community with varying backgrounds, experiences, and identities to do this. We believe in elevating the voices of those who are experiencing foster care and using their lived experiences to guide what it means to provide intentional support.