2023 Year End Report

Community B E YO N D

THE SYSTEM

2023 YEAR END REPORT

A LETTER FROM

Our Founder

“Community Beyond the System” is a term first coined by my older brother, Jessi.

During a conversation in the early days of Foster Village, I was telling him the heart behind our mission and trying to find concise words to explain the significance of an engaged community despite a broken system.

It had been an especially discouraging week of advocacy work within the system, and the hopeless feeling that “it will always be a broken system” was overwhelming.

That same week, however, I was seeing the power of people rallying together to ensure that kids received the necessities and care they needed. When we put the word out about children entering foster care as emergency placements, neighbors responded within minutes, willing to show up and be part of a village for both these vulnerable children and those opening their homes to them.

While the system remained broken, the community only grew stronger in the ways that they continued to show up to meet the needs.

As I explained this juxtaposition to Jessi, he said, “It sounds like you see the solution to the brokenness as community beyond the system.”

That’s when our motto was born. The system is complex, messy, and full of well-intended barriers and broken solutions to broken realities. While we can and should continue efforts to improve the child welfare system, it will never be perfect.

Children and families in crisis will always have unique needs beyond what any system can meet without the critical component of human connection. People within communities can be creative, compassionate, and ready to bridge the gaps, one child – one family – at a time.

Seven years later, I know this is true, not only through the vision God gave me for what is possible, but also in the real-life outcomes we continue to see through this mission.

We have seen this community wrap around thousands of children and families, coming alongside them with the support and unique resources each individual needs.

We have seen families restored and connected to each other, we have seen parents and children surrounded in supernatural ways, and we have seen beauty from ashes time and time again.

The common thread in every success story and small victory is simple:

Community Beyond the System.

As long as a child welfare system is needed (and it sadly is needed now more than ever), may we continue to build and strengthen the community beyond it, which holds the key to restoration and hope for our most vulnerable neighbors.

Thank you for continuing to pioneer this mission alongside us. Your support and investment are truly changing the lives of generations.

W I T H E T E R N A L G R AT I T U D E ,

Chrystal Smith

Founder & CEO

Our Community C H I LD R E N A N D FA M I LI ES I N C R I S I S A R E OU R N E I G H BO RS , A N D T H E Y N E E D O U R S U P P O R T. What do you think of when you think of the child welfare system?

What stereotypes come to mind?

Who do you picture? Where do they live?

Are they someone “over there” in a different neighborhood, or someone in your community?

The truth is that vulnerable children and families are our neighbors.

In our schools, our churches, our neighborhoods, and our communities, families and children are intersecting with the child welfare system – and each of their stories is as unique as they are.

OUR NEIGHBORS ARE...

F O R M E R F O S T E R YO U T H , LI K E M E G A N …

Megan is a former foster youth who aged out of the foster care system at the age of 18. The labels of “former foster youth” and “aged-out youth” both accurately reflect Megan’s experience of the foster care system.

However, neither of those labels is one that she has ever enjoyed claiming. For her, the label that matters more than anything is the label of “mom.” It is this label that propels her forward.

Being a mom is what encourages her to dream for more and fight against some of the staggering statistics facing youth who have aged out of the system. Her motivation is to provide her son with a stable foundation that many take for granted but she never experienced for herself.

But Megan’s journey hasn’t been easy. Since beginning to parent her son while still being a teenager in foster care, creating a better life has been an uphill battle. She feels like she has to fight every day to stay on track, and sometimes she wonders if she can really do it all on her own.

She still feels like a kid herself and has so much to learn. One choice at a time, she puts her head down and tries to be strong enough to break the cycle that’s persisted in her family for generations.

CAREGIVERS, LIKE JEFF AND TINA …

With three kids of their own, Jeff and Tina have their hands full.

But a year ago, they took a leap of faith that they had been praying about for a long time – becoming a licensed foster family.

Jeff and Tina felt called to foster for years, but no planning, thinking, or praying could have prepared them for the moment they received a call from a social worker saying she had an 8-month-old baby who needed a home to go to – that night. Immediately, they were hit with fear and overwhelm.

Their kids were all school-aged, and had gotten rid of baby things years ago. They had the kids’ soccer practice that day after school and had to get groceries for dinner.

How on earth could they get their home ready for a tiny baby in hours?

As they took a deep breath and said “yes” to the social worker, they tried to trust God’s plan, but a little part of them wondered if they were really cut out for this and if they could walk this path alone.

B I O L O G I C A L P A R E N T S , L I K E T I F F A N Y… Tiffany’s story intersected with the child welfare system about two years ago, immediately following the birth of her son, Max. She was incarcerated at the time of his birth, and she was not able to see him in person again until he was 13 months old.

Tiffany fought through many difficult situations throughout her case, visiting her son at every chance she was offered.

Earlier this year, she met all requirements to be safely reunited with him.

Tiffany continues to do everything she can to provide for Max. But as many single moms find, challenges continue to arise, from changing work schedules to having to stay home with a sick kiddo, making it difficult to build momentum.

Though she has put her life on a new path, she often feels like she has to choose between rebuilding her life or caring for her child.

There’s nothing she wants more than to keep them together, but without any outside support, every time Tiffany encounters a setback, she wonders if this will be the time she loses her child again.

E V E R Y D AY I N O U R C O M M U N I T Y, O U R N E I G H B O RS A R E FAC I N G TH E S E REALITIES.

“Do I have what it takes to take care of my family?”

“Will one more day of calling in sick be where it all falls apart?”

“Can I keep saying ‘yes’ to God’s call to foster?”

“Who can I turn to when it all feels like too much?”

And without the support of a village, the only place they have to turn is a broken system.

The System FA M I LI ES LI KE M EGA N , J E FF A N D TI N A , A N D TI FFA N Y A R E N A V I G AT I N G A M E S S Y A N D C O M P L E X C H I L D WE LFA R E SYSTE M .

Foster care is a broken solution to a broken reality, and the system cannot meet the unique needs of every individual it is designed to serve.

Behind every law, process, department, and institution are humans with complex stories, emotions, wants, and needs that no single program or policy can address.

That leaves gaps between what the system provides and what children and families need to thrive.

The following is a look at how vulnerable children in our state experience the foster care system:

M O S T A L L E G AT I O N S C O N F I R M E D B Y C P S A R E N E G L E C T A N D P R I M A R I LY OCCUR WITH CHILDREN AGES 0 -5 Percent of confirmed allegations by type of child maltreatment and victims by age in 2022 in Texas.

0.3% 0.5% 10.4%

0.6%

11.7% 1.5% 3.5% 74.3%

20.1%

T Y P E S O F C H I L D M A LT R E AT M E N T

• • • • • • • •

N EG LECT F U L S U P ERV I S I O N P HYS I CA L N EG LECT M ED I CA L N EG LECT S EX UA L A B U S E P HYS I CA L A B U S E EM OT I O N A L A B U S E A B A N D O N M EN T REF U SA L TO ACCEP T PA REN TA L RES P O N S I B I L ITY

VICTIMS BY AGE

12-17 YE ARS

CO NF I R M E D V I CTI M S:

53.4% 26.5% 6-11 YE ARS

0-5 Y EA R S

56,944 CO NF I R M E D A L L E GATI O NS ( 0-3 Y E A R S) :

23,248 40.8%

The majority of children intersecting with Child Protective Services – children like Megan and her son – are coming from situations of poverty and absence of a stable support system. And these challenges are often cyclical.

The true villain in this story is isolation. What parents and children really need is a community of support to help them overcome challenges they face so that they can show up for their children in the way they want to.

Source: Department of Family and Protective Services Data Book, CPI Completed Investigations: Alleged & Confirmed Types of Abuse; CPI Completed Abuse/Neglect Investigations: Victims

AT L E A S T 4 0 % O F C H I L D R E N I N S U B S T I T U T E C A R E W E R E P L A C E D I N A KINSHIP HOME IN 2022 Number of children placed in Kinship Care compared to total number of placements in 2022 in the region we serve.

3,657

R EGION WE S ERVE

•

6,067

KI N S H I P CA R E

•

P L AC E M E N TS D U R I N G T H E F I S CA L Y E A R

Though the support of foster parents like Jeff and Tina is critical to make sure vulnerable children have a safe place to turn, a large percentage of children in substitute care are placed with relative caregivers – often single grandmothers, adult siblings, aunts, or uncles who are under-resourced and trying to keep their family together.

We can’t just focus on foster families. We must also care for kinship families who are doing their best to guide their families through the complex child welfare system.

Source: Department of Family and Protective Services Data Book, CPS Substitute Care: Placements During Fiscal Year

MOST CHILDRE N IN FOSTE R CARE REUNIF Y WITH THE IR BIOLOGICAL F A M I LY Percent of children exiting DFPS legal custody in 2022, statewide.

1.2%

5.4% 7.1%

33%

12.5% 14.2% 26.4%

• • • • • • •

REU N I F I CAT I O N CU STO DY TO RELAT I V ES ( P M C) N O N - RELAT I V E A D O P T I O N RELAT I V E A D O P T I O N AG ED O U T CU STO DY TO RELAT I V ES ( P CA ) OT HER

Source: Department of Family and Protective Services Data Book, CPS: Children Exiting DFPS Legal Custody

Foster care is intended to be a temporary solution to the challenges families face. The majority of children experiencing foster care will be reunited with their biological families. It is critical that we as a community surround and support biological families who are being reunited with their children. This support can help them break the cycles of adversity that created the need for foster care in the first place and create more stable, safe homes for their children.

M O R E T H A N 4 I N 1 0 S TAT E W I D E I N TA K E R E P O R T S S E E K O T H E R S U P P O R T Percent of calls to statewide intake that are made for a referral to somewhere in the community, 2012-2022.

60%

43% 0% 2 0 12

2 013

2 014

2 015

20 16

20 17

20 18

20 19

20 20

20 21

20 22

Everyone – including the state and CPS workers – agree that no system can fully meet the complex needs of families and children in crisis. That is why the state commonly partners with community organizations like Foster Village to provide true holistic support.

As a community-funded organization, we have the flexibility to meet needs quickly, efficiently, and individually. Our programs provide all of the essential items children need, as well as making therapeutic and relational support accessible for those caring for children who have experienced significant trauma.

T H E S Y S T E M I S N O T M E E T I N G T H E R E L AT I O N A L A N D EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF VULNER ABLE CHILDREN – AND THIS LE ADS TO TE RRIBLE OUTCOMES.

The challenges vulnerable children face reach far beyond stats and systems. The trauma of neglect, abuse, and family separation creates a cycle of adversity that traps children and families in desperate situations and creates pipelines into larger social issues.

Experience with the child welfare system statistically puts vulnerable children at a disadvantage.

WHHYY W WEE CA CARREE W

WE ARE COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THESE STATISTICS ONE CHILD AT A TIME WE ARE COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THESE STATISTICS ONE CHILD AT A TIME

29% 29%

Over Over

0 0 ,0 0 0 44 0 0 , 0 0 0 youth in foster care youth in foster care nationwide nationwide

are homeless are homeless

1/5 1/5

is incarcerated is incarcerated

Youth Youth transitioning out transitioning of foster out care of foster care (by age 21) (by age 21)

70% 70%

of females are pregnant of females are pregnant

98% 98%

Of children who are Of children are identifiedwho as survivors of identified as survivors of sex trafficking had previous sexinvolvement trafficking had previous with child involvement with child welfare services. welfare services.

Minority children are twice as Minority are twice as care. likely children to be placed in foster likely to be placed in foster care.

More than More than

60% 60%

of youth who have spent time of youth whocare have spent time in foster are diagnosed in foster care are diagnosed with PTSD and/or other mental withillnesses PTSD and/or other mental related to trauma. illnesses related to trauma.

Sources: Kids Count, bettercarenetwork.org., Casey Family Programs.

Sources: Kids Count, bettercarenetwork.org., Casey Family Programs.

About half of all About half of all licensed foster licensed homesfoster quit within homes one quit year,within often citing onelack year, citing ofoften support. lack of support.

15% of children in foster care 15% of 2+ children in fosterper care average placements year

average placements per year for 3+2+ years. for 3+ years.

Approximately 64% Approximately 64care % of children in foster

of children foster care return toinparents or return to parents or lack relatives who often relatives often lacksupport. accesswho to essential access to essential support.

It’s clear that something isn’t working.

B U T W E D O N ’ T H AV E TO AC C E P T TH ESE OUTCOM ES .

TOG ETH E R , WE CAN CHANG E THE REALITY FOR VULNERABLE C H I LD R E N A N D FA M I LI E S .

Community Beyond the System, fueled by the care and support of someone like you, can interrupt these cycles and change the trajectory of a child – and their future children and grandchildren – forever.

THE SOLUTION:

Community Beyond the System

W H E N C H I LD R E N A N D FA M I LI E S H AV E A C O M M U N I T Y O F S U P P O R T, T H E Y C A N B R E A K G E N E R AT I O N A L C Y C L E S FOR YE ARS TO COME .

What if vulnerable children and families had somewhere else to turn besides an overburdened system?

What if instead of being a case number, they were people with names and faces – where someone knew them, their story, and their needs?

What if the gaps could be closed between what the system provides and what they need to thrive?

This is the power of Community Beyond the System.

At Foster Village, we surround every type of family experiencing foster care – foster parents, kinship families, reunifying families, and former foster youth – with a village of support that dismantles isolation and empowers families to break generational cycles for years to come.

We go where the system can’t, giving families wraparound support throughout their foster care journey – support like tangible items, connection, therapeutic resources, and help navigating the complexities of the system.

W E D O T H I S B Y:

• P roviding a dignified place to gather and bring all parties of the child welfare community together in a safe and inviting environment

• T ruly getting to know the children and families we serve to match them with the resources they need most

• C onnecting families to each other and to seasoned professionals who can offer encouragement and guidance when the journey gets tough

• P roviding trauma-informed training and therapeutic tools to help families resource the children in their care who have experienced trauma

• W alking alongside reunifying parents as they restore their families to help them overcome challenges and break generational cycles of adversity

T H I S V I L L A G E I S N ’ T S O M E T H I N G W E ’ V E C R E AT E D . T H I S V I L L A G E I S Y O U .

Your generosity and support is building a Community Beyond the System that changes everything for vulnerable children and families.

D E S P I T E N A V I G AT I N G A B R O K E N S Y S T E M , F A M I L I E S L I K E M EGA N , J E FF A N D TI N A , A N D TI FFA N Y A R E TH R I V I N G T H A N K S TO T H E S U P P O R T O F P E O P L E L I K E YO U.

W H AT C O M M U N I T Y B E Y O N D T H E S Y S T E M L O O K S L I K E FOR MEGAN Megan met with Foster Village before she aged out of the system, shortly after she transitioned into a new foster home and was already parenting a child herself. One of our team members connected with her immediately, and Megan soon became a regular visitor to our resource center. We had the opportunity to become part of her village of support and cheer her on as she turned 18 and started building a life for herself and her son.

One of the biggest barriers for Megan was transportation. She worked hard to secure her dream job and get her son into daycare, but without reliable transportation, it was a daily struggle to make it work.

Through Foster Village’s partnerships in the community and the generosity of our village, we were able to gift Megan and her son a new car that they can rely on for years to come.

Through our programs, we have worked with Megan to find solutions to break through the barriers she faces and establish self-sufficiency with the support of a caring community.

She no longer feels like she has to break this cycle alone. With a trusted village by her side, Megan feels empowered to keep making the choices that will lead to a better future for her and her son. She and her son are now on the road toward a new legacy of hope for their family, and we will continue cheering them on along the way.

We walked away [from the resource center] feeling like we and our kids were surrounded - like there was community and resources and support for us. The weight that lifted off of our shoulders was huge...Just the general atmosphere of care was incredible!! The kids felt it too.

- FOSTER MOTHER

W H AT C O M M U N I T Y B E Y O N D T H E S Y S T E M L O O K S L I K E FOR JEFF AND TINA When Jeff and Tina got the call about their emergency placement, one of our on-call volunteers stepped up to deliver a Welcome Pack full of necessities that following morning. Not only did this help reduce the overwhelm of meeting a child’s immediate needs, but Jeff and Tina breathed easier knowing they weren’t on the journey alone and that Foster Village was there to support them.

During their first year fostering, Jeff and Tina got connected to other foster families and caregivers through our Support Gatherings. Each time they felt tempted to quit, the support of Foster Village sustained them, whether through a parents’ night out, a therapeutic resource for a kiddo who had experienced trauma, or help understanding the court and legal system.

Jeff and Tina recently agreed that they could accept more than one child if the need arose. And they are now helping to mentor and support new foster families who are navigating the system for the first time.

Their calling looks bigger than they ever expected. They’re not only caring for vulnerable children in their community, but they’re caring for other families like theirs, making it possible for more and more people to be the village of support children need.

W H AT C O M M U N I T Y B E Y O N D T H E S Y S T E M L O O K S L I K E FOR TI FFANY Tiffany is working consistently at a local restaurant and has been navigating the difficulty of securing safe, reliable childcare for her boys during her shifts. Since most daycares only accommodate the typical 8-5 job, this is a significant challenge.

But Tiffany knows she has someone she can call whenever she is in a bind: the foster family who cared for Max from birth until his reunification. Through our Partners in Permanency program, Max’s foster mom has been able to maintain a relationship with Tiffany and has become one of the most stable support systems Tiffany has ever known.

Not only does Max’s foster mom provide childcare while Tiffany is at work, but she lets us know when Tiffany is facing a challenge, like being sick and not being able to work, so we can provide resources and help her keep her family together even through hard times.

Before, Tiffany felt like she was just one setback away from losing her son again. But now, she knows she can navigate challenges that arise because she has a village to turn to, giving her hope for the future and strength to keep moving forward.

C O M M U N I T Y B E YO N D T H E S YS T E M I S R E W R I T I N G STO R I ES FO R FA M I LI ES LI KE M EGA N , J E FF A N D TI N A , A N D T I F F A N Y. They have gone from the burden of generational trauma to breaking generational cycles, from navigating a broken system to building thriving families.

All thanks to the support of people like you who are creating a village of support for children and families here in Austin.

Through your generosity, you are surrounding families with the love and care they need to thrive – and creating new communities beyond the system as caregivers support each other, we support reunifying families, and reunifying families support their children in the way they’ve always wanted to.

Instead of just intersecting with a broken system, families are now intersecting with each other, creating new extended families and beautiful villages of love throughout our community.

2023 PROGRAM

Updates

When a child enters foster care, there are so many immediate needs – clothing, toiletries, therapeutic support, and making sure caregivers have what they need.

But beyond meeting these immediate needs, we also want to address the reasons why children end up in foster care in the first place – trauma, poverty, isolation, and generational challenges.

In 2023, through your support, we’ve continued to be a safe haven for children and caregivers who need immediate support, while also expanding our work to focus on prevention and reunification.

Together, we can work towards a world where more families have what they need to stay together and thrive.

A VILL AGE IN EVERY COMMUNIT Y Over the last few years, we have put countless hours into building our e-learning platform, training programs, and website replication abilities to make our model and programs more readily available to other communities in need of a Foster Village.

This year we have added three new affiliate locations throughout the U.S. that launched in record time. Each location is a separately funded and locally governed non-profit, following our shared mission, framework, and trusted brand. We’re excited to see all 13 Foster Village locations continue to grow and serve in 2024!

ON THE FRONT LINES OF PREVENTION There continues to be significant change in child welfare nationwide, and Foster Village continues to be perfectly positioned to bridge the gaps that are showing up along the way.

One of the increases we have seen this year is in cases involving Family Based Safety Services (FBSS). These are often scenarios in which CPS is trying to prevent family separation and working to get parents the resources they need so that their children do not need to be placed in foster care. The most common scenario that we have seen this year is a single mother in drug treatment programs and/or transitional living situations in need of full wraparound support.

Thanks to this community, we were able to provide financial, therapeutic, and relational support to 75 FBSS families working to stay together. And through our partnerships with several specialty, collaborative court models – including the Travis County Child Welfare Re-imagined Pilot and Williamson County’s Family Recovery Court – we look forward to continuing as a strong community resource that family advocates, caseworkers, attorneys, and judges can rely on.

Our long-term hope and vision is for families to have the support that they need to the extent that foster care is not even needed, and we are committed to moving the needle closer to that goal one family at a time.

P R E S E RV I N G FA M I LI E S TH R O U G H O U R PA R TN E R S I N PERMANENCY PROGRAM This year, we’ve grown our Partners in Permanency program to change the way foster parents, birth parents, and their communities experience foster care.

Partners in Permanency is designed to encourage healthy, ongoing relationships between foster families and birth families as children move toward permanency, providing support to birth families who are trying to keep their children with them.

Over 90% of the Partners in Permanency parents we work with are single mothers who have these barriers in common:

ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING

NETWORK OF SUPPORT

PA RTN E RS I N PERMANENCY

RELIABLE T R A N S P O R TAT I O N

SAFE CHILDCARE OPTIONS

Our program is designed to give these parents the tools and resources needed to overcome their barriers.

This year, we had the opportunity to wrap around 80 families during their reunification process as well as 51 single mothers working with CPS to keep their families together and prevent their children from being placed in substitute care.

Partners in Permanency is the only program of its kind that provides holistic, ongoing wraparound support to these families fighting to break generational cycles of adversity. One-on-one guidance from our team helps families to navigate much-needed resources – such as affordable housing, reliable transportation, and dependable childcare – through our available Family Grants and network of volunteers and church partners.

Through this holistic, relational approach, birth families are connected with their own supportive village so they can break cycles of generational adversity and ultimately change the trajectory for their whole family. One family at a time, we are moving the needle closer to our vision of a safe and stable family for every child and a world where foster care is no longer needed.

GROWING OUR THERAPEUTIC SUPPORT PROGRAM TO SERVE MORE CAREGIVERS For caregivers looking for someone who can guide them through behavioral challenges related to complex trauma, we offer ongoing, therapeutic coaching and resources.

Without the right support, foster and kinship families are more likely to stop fostering.

To help sustain caregivers, our team works with them (foster, kinship, postadoptive, and reunifying families) through behavioral challenges. Our Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) Practitioners, Child Development Experts, and social workers work directly with families at our resource centers and in homes. They serve families by answering tough questions, offering tips and resources for bonding and attachment, and customizing support to fit each family’s unique needs.

Not only do we support families in their homes through weekly visits, we also host therapeutic day camps modeled after The Hope Connection, the original TBRI® summer camp created by the late Dr. Karyn Purvis and Dr. David Cross. Our biannual Foster Village Empowered Camp is an opportunity to help the whole family heal from trauma together.

Along with other ongoing events like support groups and seasonal activities, we regularly host Parents’ Night Out events in partnership with Austin Ridge Bible Church to give caregivers a much-deserved break so that they can enjoy a few hours of kidless freedom.

No matter what we do for caregivers throughout the year, we walk alongside every family toward healthier, more fulfilling relationships.

TRANSFORMING OUR COMMUNITY WITH LIFE IN LIMBO® Life in Limbo® is an interactive workshop created by Fostering Great Ideas® that gives participants the opportunity to simulate foster care. In this immersive experience, participants step into the shoes of birth parents, foster parents, and displaced children, learning what it feels like to live their lives.

Our staff has spent this year training on how to lead these workshops and hosted our first Life in Limbo® event in October, and we have been approved to lead it regularly for our Village of volunteers and community members. Through Life in Limbo®, we hope participants grow in empathy and understanding as they learn about the complexities of the child protective system and how to advocate for these children and their families.

community has to say

W H AT O U R

Community Beyond the System is more than a concept or ideal for us. It’s an evidence-informed model born out of real-life experience that makes a real-world difference in the lives of the families we serve.

A C C O R D I N G T O O U R A N N U A L C A R E G I V E R S U R V E Y:

100% of caregivers feel more connected and supported after joining a Support Gathering

100% of caregivers feel more knowledgeable about sensory processing after working with the Project SOOTHe program

100% of caregivers who attended Empowered Camp left feeling empowered and thought it was impactful for their family

85% of caregivers noticed a moderate to significant change in their child’s behaviors after working with the Project SOOTHe program

97% of respondents said that community support has been an important factor during their time caring for the children in their home

100% of caregivers feel more equipped since beginning the Therapeutic Support program

98% of respondents reported feeling more equipped, connected, and/ or supported through our programs

O V E R 9 8 % O F T H E C A R E G I V E R S W E S E R V E D I N 2 0 2 3 (including licensed foster parents, kinship caregivers, and reunified parents) said that the support they received from Foster Village Austin was a sustaining factor in their ability to continue caring for the children in their home.

In their own words...

Foster Village Austin helped our children not only when they were in our home but also helped our children during reunification with their bio family! I tell every caseworker, CASA worker, and foster parent about the amazing help they provide! It’s easy to feel alone as a foster parent, and Foster Village REALLY is literally a village of support for everyone involved.

- FOSTER MOTHER

My experience with the Foster Village Therapeutic Support Specialist has been spot on. Most impressive is her direct support and engagement with my child...She is easily accessible, knowledgeable, and understanding. She is an essential part of the wellness for my child, especially when you factor in the live support received from the Foster Village community.

- KINSHIP GRANDMOTHER

[Foster Village’s Therapeutic Support program] is absolutely incredible. Our family is so grateful. Some weeks I feel like I can’t do this anymore, and then we see the Therapeutic Support Specialist and I feel confident and more positive and as though we can continue in this really difficult process.

- FOSTER MOTHER

I knew about Foster Village, and it has been such a godsend to our family....Within a minute of speaking with the Project SOOTHe Coordinator, I had a sense of relief and HOPE that things would get better.

- F O S T E R PA R E N T

Our family has been fostering since 2019, and over these past four years we have been blessed with car seats, a bassinet, clothes, and date nights through the generosity and efforts of Foster Village! We’re so thankful that we have an organization like Foster Village in our area!

- F O S T E R PA R E N T

I love the Support Gatherings! It’s so nice to be able to just sit and talk to the other adults while someone else is in charge of my child for a bit! As a single mom, I don’t get a lot of time off. So, I really appreciate the Foster Village gatherings!

- FOSTER MOTHER

I don’t even know where my kids and I would be today without the support of Foster Village. They literally gave us a family. - R E U N I F I E D M O T H E R

YO U C A N G I V E A C H I LD

what the system can’t

You are changing the todays and tomorrows for vulnerable families and children by bridging gaps and giving children and families what they need to thrive.

But seeing Community Beyond the System at work has only shown us how great the need is.

We believe EVERY child experiencing foster care deserves to be surrounded by a village, and we need your help bringing this village to more families in our community.

In 2024, your support will help us continue to fund our mission and invest in three key priorities:

I N I T I AT I V E

Expand our resource center to provide Community Beyond the System for the growing needs in north Austin

When we launched our north Austin resource center in 2020, we knew that it would be perfectly situated to meet the huge number of requests we were receiving from the north end of Austin and its surrounding suburbs.

Since then, we have seen a 33% increase in requests from that location year after year and have had to get creative with maximizing the space (and our neighbors’ space) to keep up with the demand.

As we come to the end of our 5-year lease at the current property, we are dreaming big about the possibilities of our own permanent space with a deeper knowledge of the consistent gaps that Foster Village is best positioned to bridge.

With big dreams comes big goals, and your partnership will help us build a long-term resource center that will allow us to meet the needs of all of the children and families who come our way. With the help of this village, we look forward to building a place of support and refuge that will serve many generations to come.

I N I T I AT I V E

2.

Make quality therapeutic services accessible to children and families who need them most

Did you know that children in foster care are at an exponentially higher risk of mental and behavioral health challenges? Sadly, their caregivers often have the hardest time getting these children access to the therapeutic services they need.

In 2024, we are looking forward to offering Parent Skills Classes led by a licensed psychologist who also shares lived experience as a foster and adoptive parent.

Through this skills course, caregivers will learn the most effective strategies and approaches to parenting kids who have experienced complex trauma.

Through your support, we hope to fund these Parent Skills Classes year round and equip caregivers with the tools and training they need to navigate complex mental and behavioral health challenges. When families have access to the tools needed, children are less likely to bounce from home to home and more likely to have the consistency and connection they need to flourish.

I N I T I AT I V E

3.

Providing holistic support to children in the five counties surrounding Austin

By popular demand, and through your generosity, we expanded our service area to include the five counties in and around Austin.

Our goal in 2024 is to continue making all of our programs and services easily accessible to the children and families who need it within this expanded coverage area.

With your help, an estimated 2,000 children will have access to a village of support in these areas.

With your support, these children and families are beating the troubling statistics that historically stem from navigating a broken system in isolation.

ANNUAL REVENUE BY YEAR

F I N A N C I A L A C C O U N TA B I L I T Y * Actuals based on submitted 2021 IRS Form 990

6% 2022

1,667,000

2023 PROJECTED

1,700,000

2024 NEED

8%

1,900,000

86%

•

PROGRAMS

•

FUNDRAISING

REVENUE SOURCES FOR 2023

2%

•• •• •• ••

I N D I V I D UA L S

6%

6% 23%

FUNDRAISERS F O U N DAT I O N S D O N O R A DV I S E D F U N D S

13%

C O R P O R AT I O N S CHURCHES IN-KIND EARNED REVENUE & INTEREST

19%

14% 17%

•

O P E R AT I O N S

Y O U R G E N E R O S I T Y C R E AT E S A S A F E A N D S U P P O R T I V E

community beyond the system Children in foster care are bright, capable, and strong. When they are surrounded by the support and care they need to feel safe and secure as well as given the tools to be successful, they can:

• Break the cycle of trauma that leads to homelessness, incarceration, and addiction • Heal from abuse and/or neglect, become resilient, and succeed in life • Overcome adversity and reach their God-given potential • Become outstanding daughters, sons, parents, and members of our communities But their caregivers and their parents can’t do it alone.

They need to be assured that someone is advocating on their behalf and working with them to create a personal support system that will sustain them through the ups and downs of foster care.

Will you help us reach thousands of children and families in Austin and the surrounding community with the resources and therapeutic support they need to thrive?

W I LL YO U B E A C O M M U N IT Y B E YO N D T H E S YS T E M F O R

your neighbors who need it most?

E I N 8 1- 314 38 8 1

W AY S Y O U C A N

give B Y D O N O R A D V I S E D F U N D O R C H A R I TA B L E S T O C K D O N AT I O N S : Email chrystal@fostervillageaustin.org with questions.

B Y M A I L :

ifts can be mailed to 15400 Fitzhugh Road G Dripping Springs, TX 78620

B Y P H O N E : Please call our office at 512.599.4144, and someone from our team can help process your gift.

ONLINE:

www.fostervillageaustin.org

G I V E :

www.fostervillageaustin.org/give

Questions?

Please contact us at info@fostervillageaustin.org or call us at 512.599.4144.

We’d love to hear from you!

30

2023

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FOSTE R VILL AG E INC . | AUSTIN , T X | 512 .599.414 4

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