Help Build The Fostered

Every young person deserves to understand their rights, know where to turn when something goes wrong, and have a voice in the systems that shape their future.

For thousands of young people impacted by foster care, that simply isn't the reality.

The Fostered was created to change that.

We're a new nonprofit dedicated to equipping young people impacted by foster care with the knowledge, tools, and leadership opportunities they need to navigate complex systems, advocate for themselves, and help improve those systems for the next generation.

Right now, we're preparing to launch our first statewide Listening Tour, where we'll travel across Texas to meet directly with current and former foster youth. We believe the best solutions come from the people who have lived the experience, not just those who study it.

Those conversations will help shape everything we build, including:

• A youth-centered Rights & Advocacy Platform

• Educational resources and self-advocacy tools

• Policy priorities for the Texas Legislature

• Research and systems improvement initiatives

• Youth leadership and civic engagement opportunities

Here's what your donation makes possible:

$30 sponsors one hour of participation for a young person in one of our paid listening sessions.

$50 helps provide meals and refreshments during a community listening session.

$100 helps cover a volunteer's hotel stay while traveling across Texas to facilitate listening sessions.

$250 helps offset travel costs like fuel, rental vehicles, and transportation between communities.

$500 helps us host a full community listening session by supporting youth participation, materials, and outreach.

$1,000+ helps build the infrastructure behind our Rights & Advocacy Platform and supports the research, technology, and program development needed to launch it.

Every contribution, no matter the size, helps us move one step closer to giving young people the information, support, and opportunities they deserve.

Looking Ahead

Pending funding, we're planning to begin our first statewide Listening Tour this fall, with community sessions across Texas beginning in Fall 2026 and continuing into Spring 2027. We'll be announcing locations and dates as they're confirmed, and we can't wait to begin listening, learning, and building alongside young people and communities across the state.

As a former foster youth, I've spent my career working to improve child welfare through research, public policy, and systems change. The Fostered is the culmination of that journey, but it's also just the beginning.

Thank you for believing that young people deserve more than survival. They deserve to understand their rights, influence the decisions that affect their lives, and build better systems for those who come after them.

Together, we can build that future.