The Foster Youth Empowerment Workshop

Families For Children provides a variety of enrichment programs for teenage foster youth. These programs are funded by the generosity of our community partners. Our most dynamic and innovative program is The Foster Youth Empowerment Workshop. Please click here to see how Families For Children is making a difference in the lives of our very special children. THANK YOU!

Mission
Families For Children is a foster care and adoption agency that provides temporary and permanent homes to abused and neglected children in Los Angeles County. Our commitment is to the whole child.  In addition to our core foster care and adoption services, we offer tutoring, family preservation, emancipation programs, counseling, mentoring and intensive social work services. 

The mission of the Foster Youth Empowerment Workshop, (FYEW) is to provide foster youth with a unique, local outdoor experience that has life changing potential.  The winter program for 2007 will take place at Cedar Lake Camp in Big Bear, CA.  The dates of the winter program are March 1st – March 4th 2007.

Program Statement
The FYEW uses elements of Adventure-Based Counseling, (ABC) and structured Resilience Training as empowerment tools for foster and group home youth.  The ABC elements of physical challenges, framing, and metaphors are combined with training sessions covering 7 recognized elements of resilient behavior: Insight, Independence, Relationships, Initiative, Creativity, Humor and Morality.  The four day conference is designed to inspire, motivate and prepare emancipating foster youth for long term survival and success. Approximately 50 foster and group youth participate in the 4 day workshop.

Goal
The FYEW will provide creative opportunities to recognize self-worth, enhance coping skills and increase the ability to develop healthy attachments to adults and peers.  The workshop will provide emancipating foster youth with emotional and motivational tools for long-term survival and success after foster care.  The achievement of these goals will enable foster youth to function as contributing adults, thereby reducing the risk of continued generational dependence on social welfare systems.

What the kids are saying...

“I am so happy. I look forward to life. Words can’t explain how this workshop has impacted my life.”

B.M. 16yrs old

“I had a really great time up here in Big Bear and this is the first time I have seen snow. I took pictures but I wanted to take more. On Friday we went skiing it was my first time going skiing and I kept falling down, but I got right back up. I want to go next year it helped me a lot.”
                                                                              
J. H. 14yrs old 

“Oh my God it was so much fun coming here. At first I didn’t think I was going to have fun but I did. I appreciate you guys helping us and communicating with us in different ways”

C. B. 15yrs old

“This workshop has been the greatest of my life. I‘ve never seen so many beautiful things. I’ve never had so many new experiences. I will carry the experience of the workshop for the rest of my life. This workshop will forever be in my heart”

L.H.  16yrs old

“Thank you for this wonderful experience. This was the first time I was in snow and the first time I went skiing. The resilience workshop really made me see my life in a totally different way. I hop to come back next year”

A.M.  17yrs old