21,000 young people age out of foster care every year in the US, and 97% of them end up in chronic poverty or become homeless, incarcerated, trafficked, or worse. That is why, in 2014, we decided to change that reality. Our vision is that every homeless and former foster youth would thrive in life and impact their world from the safety of a healthy connection.

The foster care system is intended to be a temporary way to care for a child until they either 1) reunite with their biological family/primary caretaker or 2) get adopted by a certified family. But only half are reunited with their families and only 25% are adopted. When youth aren’t placed into permanent homes, time ticks on and they are emancipated at 18. On average, more than 21,000 young people turn 18 and transition out of the foster care system through emancipation (aka age out) in the U.S. every single year.