May 2020Vol. 21, No. 4Mentoring Youth in the Foster Care System Toolkit
Youth Collaboratory has compiled a toolkit for mentoring youth in foster care. Youth can benefit immensely from having a mentor, including improved academic outcomes and behavior, increased relationship skills and self-confidence, and reduced risky behaviors such as drug and alcohol use.
The Mentoring Youth in the Foster Care System Toolkit contains four modules of tools and techniques to help build these important, supportive relationships and was compiled through conversations with those in the field serving these youth. The following are the four modules:
- Intensive Services & Mentoring Support Positive Outcomes for Youth in Foster Care
- The Role of Program Staff: Mentoring Youth in the Foster Care System
- Training Mentors to Work With Youth in the Foster Care System
- In It for the Long Haul: Creating and Sustaining Long-Term Relationships for Youth in Foster Care
It can be challenging to mentor youth who often lack the skills to maintain long-term, positive relationships. Organizations can use this toolkit to educate themselves about the benefits of mentor programs, how to develop programs to train youth mentors who are more than just role models, and how these programs can work alongside the larger foster care system.