9-year-old Sierra entered care last year due to an environment of substance abuse, violence, and neglect at home. Like many foster youth, she initially found it difficult to express herself and she lacked the confidence to speak up.

Foster Funds gave Sierra the opportunity to take classes at Drawn2Art, a local studio, where she was free to be herself and paint as she wished. Sierra flourished in an environment where she could explore her creative instincts and be herself.  Through these classes, her skill, as well as her confidence grows.

In honor of Women’s History Month, Neiman Marcus hosted a panel discussion featuring three women influencing positive change in the community, including Promises2Kids CEO, Tonya Torosian. We were honored to be part of this event and are thankful for Neiman Marcus’ continued support.

A room full of parents and young kids might not be your average college student’s idea of a night out, but for our Guardian Scholar Parenting Group, it was the place to be!

Parenting is hard – no matter when you decide to start a family – and we know that a supportive network can make all the difference to a young parent. That’s the aim of Promises2Kids’ Parenting Workshop Series, which last week held the second gathering of our 6-week series at the Salvation Army’s Kroc Center.

This safe space is created for former foster youth to learn about healthy parenting practices, ask questions, and simply socialize with like-minded parents.

Did you know that our Guardian Scholars program offers a Latinx Mentoring Group? This monthly group is for our scholars who identify as Latinx and is guided by caring leaders in the community. Scholars discuss issues relevant to their identity in a safe and open forum that honors their backgrounds, provides support for their challenges, and celebrates their victories.

This month’s group was led by two Guardian Scholar Mentors, who delivered a presentation on emotional intelligence, its challenges, strengths, and how it intersects with the Latinx community. After the presentation, students broke out into small groups to discuss and share their personal stories and experiences with each other.

Newly renamed Advocates for Change hosted special guest, former foster youth, and current Guardian Scholar Mentor, Brian Kasper. Kasper led our session which began with him sharing his own journey through the foster care system before shifting to the topic on the night: self-advocacy. Kasper led a discussion on how being your own advocate influences how you tell your own story, both to yourself and to others, and how you can use that perspective while raising awareness around foster care.

Learn more about our Guardian Scholar Program on our YouTube below.