foster skills strategic plan

7/29/2019 Foster Skills Strategic Plan

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Foster Skills, Inc. |shape a life. build a future.

invest in the future...


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Structure

Program

Initiatives

Road toSuccess

Foster Skills, Inc. | shape a life. build a future.

About Us MISSION

Foster Skills is a nonprofit dedicated to helping foster

youth achieve life success.

PURPOSE

To enrich the lives of program participants by providing

tangible resources, emotional support, skill-building

education, and advocacy.

VISION

Develop foster youth into independent and productive

citizens that become benefactors to their communities.


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HISTORY

Marquis Cabrera founded Foster Skills soon after

studying Juvenile Law under Massachusetts Supreme

Court Chief Justice, Roderick Ireland. He witnessedmany heart-wrenching care and protection cases and

developed a passion for social justice. Having had

experienced the grueling effects of the foster care

system firsthand; he started mentoring foster youth, and

figured if he could help one that he could help many

more.

Foster Skills: About Us


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FOUNDING STORIESThe Star Fish Story

Moccasin

VALUES

Personal Responsibility

Innovation Urgency

Empowerment

Choice

Accountability

Collaboration

Responsiveness Quality

Integrity

Put Kids First (!)

Moccasin Youth

Increase Effort Times Adaptability

Build Loyalty and Community

Implement Fun-derstanding Practices

Model The Future

CULTURE

Foster Skills maintains a fairly young staff inorder to stay current. The company was built

on the notion that successful youth can and

will help foster youth become successful.

Everyday, we believe that foster youth will

only be successful if we do the following:



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Foster Skills operates to provide equip foster youth with tools to be successful when they

go out into the world.

WHAT WE DOBondProvide mentors for emotional stability

and development;

EducateTeach foster youth via interactive

workshops practical, and transferable life

skills;

Connect - Bridge connections with likeorganizations, and connect foster youth to

resource and community organizations;

Share - And, create awareness about the issues

facing youth to help develop best practices.


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Why we do what we do?

Shape a life.

Build a future.The Y in what we do

Why not make a difference

Be the change

We believe in foster children

The smallest effort can have the greatest impact

Together we can and will

Foster youth can achieve!



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www.fosterskills.org

Foster Care: The Challenges

Foster Youth Statistics: The Chronic Underachievement and

Collateral Effects of the Foster Care System

Almost 40 percent of former foster youth have repeated one or more grades

Fifty-two percent of students who were ever in foster care read below grade

level, compared to 38% of the overall population

Only 20 to 30 percent of youth in foster care nationally graduated high school

by age 19

Less than three percent of former foster youth obtained a bachelors degree

One-third of youth lived at or below poverty after leaving foster care, threetimes higher than the national rate

A Department of Social Services survey found that 37 percent of former foster

youth experienced homelessness after age 18


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www.fosterskills.orgwww.fosterskills.org

Foster Care: Voices

Foster Youth Speak Out!Theres a perception that . . .

these foster kids . . . if theyre

not with their mother or

father, that means no one

wants them, and no one

wants them for a reason, so I

think theyre almost seen as a

lost cause.

Jelani, former foster youth

Luis believes all children deserve the nurturing that came to

him so late. I think its important that a kid is just getting

what he needsfood, health care, love. You really have to

instill into a kid [that] . . . you have a right to be happy. You

have a right not to be hit. You have a right to nourishment.

You have a right to love. . . . I just think everybody deserves

a family when theyre young.

My sisters and brother had to eat, he said.

So I would go through dumpsters to get them

food, and I stole baby formula for my little

sister. I helped Kristina learn how to walk and

how to be toilet-trained. I changed Emilys

diapers.

I was only six when I went into

foster care. I remember vividly

just sitting outside the courthouse. . . my birth mother crying. And

then suddenly, I was living

somewhere else, in some house I

didnt know. No one told me

anything. For five years, no one

told me anything.

Being taken from my parents didnt bother me. . . . But being torn away from my

brothers and sisters . . . they were my whole life. . . . It was probably the most painful

thing in the world. They told me I would be able to see them a lot, but I was lucky to see

them at all.

John, former foster child


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Provide life plans for kidsthat help to children toself advocate

Teach essential skills thatwill set the foundationfor youth to achieve lifesuccess

Decrease emotionalstress facing foster careyouth by providing

emotional supportsystems and access toformer foster youth

Encourage foster youthto share their voice

ShortTermGoals

Create productivecitizens that thatfunction independentlyand strive to reach theirpotential.

Increase EducationalOpportunities therebyincreasing the number ofFoster Youth that achievein school and decreasingthe number of youththat commit crime

Develop a proven YouthDevelopment Model

Create NationalAwareness to promotebest practices

LongTermGoals



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About Us

Program

Initiatives

Road toSuccess

Foster Skills, Inc. |shape a life. build a future.

Structure

WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT

Foster Skills is unique in the fact that it was started

and is currently being managed by a former foster

youth who once found himself in the same shoes as

the youth they are now striving to help. As formerfoster children who lived many of the same

experiences as the youth who involved with Foster

Skills, they will be able to share knowledge and

understanding that is second to none.


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Below is current structure of the Governing Board. The core functions

are essential to the organizations day-to-day operations. The primary

functions of the board are to provide the tangible resource to helpfoster youths, increase the number of yearly committed donors, and

to provide assess the organizational goals of Foster Skills. to help

foster youth, assess.

Foster Skills: Governing Board

Donors Assessment

DRYVE

Organizations

Resource

Function 1 Function 2 Function 3 Function 4


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Function 1 Function 2 Function 3 Function 4


Below is current structure of the Advisory Board. The core functions

are essential to the program and internal operations of Foster Skills

Program. The overarching buckets central focus are on programdevelopment opportunities, policy effecting children, and the foster

youths continued success.

Foster Skills: Advisory Council


National

Awareness

Aging Out Task

Force

Foster Parent

Task Force Alumni Affairs


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Below is the current Executive Team structure of the Foster Skills. The core positions are essential to the internal

operation of the organization. The support position focuses on key on cross-functional activities. The executive

teams holds the ultimate decision-making power or the organization.

Organizational Chart and Officer Duties

Nurture

relationships with

Community

Partners. Ensure we are

keeping our ear

to the ground

with things

involving the

Foster Care

community

Manage, market,

and develop our

brand, find innovate

strategies toadvertise

Use creative

techniques and

strategies that will

add to revenue

streams

Develop and

nurture

relationships with

multinationalcompanies

Secure National/

and Initiative

Sponsors

Create fundraising

initiatives and

develop strategies to

increase companiesrevenue streams.

Implement

strategies that will

grow organization

Manage finances,

accounts, develop

budgets, and ensure

compliance with IRS.

Find ways to use our

accounts to increase

revenue.

Help to manage

National Sponsors

relationships

Develop an interactive

curriculum to increase

youth responsiveness.

Evaluate Curriculum

Establish work plans to

evaluate growth and

performance.

Secure program

participants every year

Manage Parent-Child

Relationships

Responsib

ilities

LegendLegendCross

Functional

Position

Core

Position

Legend

Executive Team

SVP of Corp. RelationsSVP of Program

Operations

VP of Community

InvolvementSVP of Development SVP of AccountingVP Creative

President

Director of Special

InitiativesExecutive Director

Manage Strategic Relationships.

Evaluate processes. Manage Associates.

Implement Curriculum.

Director of Technology

Manage

Information

Systems and

Social Media


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Padovano

Coopchik

Cabrera

Gay

Fichera


Swerdlowe

FicheraFlaherty

LegendLegend

Legend

Executive Committee

Brand, Creative, &

Tech

Administrative

Budget & Finance

Development

Program & Services

National Sponsors

DRYVE

Community Partners

Cabrera

PadovanoSernicki

Coopchik

Su

Sernicki

Cabrera

Coopchik

FicheraSwerdlowe

Cabrera

Su

Gay

Fichera

Cabrera

Sernicki

Everyone

Executive Team Committees


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Below is the structure for Foster Skillss Associates. The Associates are focused on

developing and mentoring youth, and growing Foster Skills the organization.

Note: It's important to have a bond/ personal relationship with mentees and we

know that it is easier to develop a bond with someone closer in age. Our Associateswill be hardworking, movers and shakers. The roles focus strategically on projects.

President

Project Lead

Associates lead projects on an on-going basis. One VP should be centrally

responsible for each project lead. The President, V ice President of Program

Operations, or ED can fill this role. This project lead role is temporary for the

duration of the project and allows for other Associates to step up and contribute.

Project

Member

Project

Member

Project

Member

Associates will be apart of projects and support a Project Leads.

The leadership should be actively helping the Project Lead to

recruit members for the Project. Associates will rotate project

leads.

Manage & Create

Relationships with

Program Participants

Fostering

Professional

Development and

Skill Building

Perform Program

Model Duties &

Building the foster

youth

Create ongoing

journal

Connect with

Community

Res

ponsibilities

of

Associates

Organizational Structure Associates

LegendLegend

Support

Position

Core

Position

Legend

Associates

Executive Director

Vice President of Program

Operations


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Structure

About Us

Initiatives

Road toSuccess


Program Community

Life Preparation

Modeling

Self-Management

The below hierarchy allows for skill building. All skills provided within said

curriculum are for constant and continued learning. It s significant to build a

solid foundation, thereby building the child into a productive citizen.


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The target population of the organization will be foster

youth in High School. Foster Skills program participants

will mentor middle school participants

Advanced

Degrees

Graduate

College

High School

Middle School

Elementary

Pre-School

Educational

Pipeline

CXO job

opportunities

and training

Management

opportunities

and training

Connect to

internships and

job opportunities

Exposure to

different

professions and

Career

Paths/Planning

Professional

development &

exposure todifferent

professions

Continue

professional

development

Foster

professional skills

and

independence

ProfessionalPipeline

Foster Skills, Inc: Target Population

Foster Skills Primary Focus Areas (PFAs)


Who do we work with?


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Foster Skills Program Model

PROGRAM GOAL

Develop foster youth into productive citizens. Foster Skills will reach to high school age youth

who are currently in foster care. Foster Skills will offer these youth an opportunity to develop

important life skills that will expand their opportunities and give them the tools necessary toreach their goals. The program will offer a wide variety of both social and professional skills

that will help these youth to prosper in all aspects of their lives.

In addition to offering youth in foster care the opportunity to learn and develop important

life skills. Foster Skills will also connect these youth to the resources and opportunities

available to them through other agencies and programs. Many youth in Foster Care are not

aware of the resources available to them. Foster Skills will act as a bridge for these youth tohelp them reach their fullest potential.

PROGRAM DESIGN

Host a creative, interactive weekly skill-building workshop for foster youth involved in the

program. Each monthly workshop will focus on separate skills or set of skills, and each

month will build off of skills learned during previous months.

During the workshop, trained student ambassadors will work with the youth to develop

the monthly skill through individual and group activities. The workshop will divide youth

into groups based on age, stage of development, and level of need. Each group will use

appropriate teaching tools and activities to give the youth a solid understanding of the

skill and an opportunity to put the skill into practice through individual or group activities.


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Program Development

Provide mentors to Foster

Youth during their transition

from Middle School to High

School

Establish focus for youth

Grow the individual

Listen to Youth

Self-Awareness

Open and promote critical

thinking

Create role models

Goal Plan

Develop creativity

Build Leaders

Fundraise/ Advocate

Introduce Students to Life

Mentors

Develop life skills

Create Direction

Assess current structure and

strategic direction

Update Curriculum

Prepare for life after High

School

Acquire InternshipExperience

Hire foster kids for

development

Have youth help make a

difference by drafting by policy

Develop social awareness

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

These are the core progressive youth development stages designed to

grow youth into productive citizens. Future phase activities are

dependant on Foster Youths responses to program model.

Create a solid

foundation and process

Rejuvenated self-worth

and confident individual

Create a solidfoundation and processes

PrimaryFocus

Benefits

Establish lndependence

Connect youth to

opportunities

Ensure life success

Instill holistic methods

Provide real world

experience

Prepare for life after

High School

Develop tough exterior

and reinforce resiliency

Establish know how in a

variety of areas

Educate about FosterCare


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Who do we work with?

The target population of the organization will be fosteryouth in High School. Foster Skills program participants

will mentor middle school participants.

Exposure: social structures and world culture

Opportunities: education, entrepreneur ship

apprenticeships and internships, and public

advocacy

Community Activism: empower youth to change

their communities and ameliorate other lives

Foster Skills Primary Focus Areas

Foster Skills operates to provide equip foster youth with tools to be successful when they

go out into the world.


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Structure

About Us

Program

Road toSuccess


Initiatives


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MyHome

MyHome is a web

portal that holds amultitude ofresources for allFoster Youth.

One of the maincomponents is aMessage Board

for youth tocommunicate.

I=US

Our FosterUpinitiative willallow for us to

connect fosteryouth with otherfoster youth.

The notion drivingthis idea is team-up. Have Foster

Youth team-up, orin this instanceteen-up to helpeach otherovercome andbeat the odds.

I=US (cont..)

MyVoice fallsdirectly under theI=US initiative;and allows fosteryouth to sharetheir story to thepublic, if theywant.

This is a powerfultool that willallow us to createnationalawareness.

FS Documentary

An outlet forawareness

DRYVE

Secure tangiblematerials forchildren that arenecessary for life

success.

Organizations:

Cradles forCrayons

Dress forSuccess

No Kid Hungry

Barnes andNoble/ Gutman

Foster Skills Initiatives

TEEN-UP MyVoice DRYVE


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Structure

About Us

Initiatives

Program


Road toSuccess

Below is the Foster Skills recipe for program success.

Believe A DifferenceCan Be Made

Put Kids First

Moccasin The Children

Heal

Think Big

Push Limits

Set-Bar High

DevelopSelf-Advocates

Organization

Best Practices

Build

Fundraise

Partner-Up

Create NationalAwareness

Evolve Organization

Share


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Foster Skills Theory of Change

Connect foster youth

and organizations

Enhance Capacity

Create Conditions

Identify Opportunities

Bring Knowledge

Promote learning

Build Relationships

Leverage resources

Reduce Barriers

Foster Public Will

Identify and strengthen

local energy

Broad

Alliances

Data &

Learning

Transforming

Systems

Capacity to

Sustain

Systems

Transformation

Organizational

Transformation

PowerfulStrategies

Impact,

Influence,

Leverage

Individual

Transformation

SCALE

Economic

Connections

Social

Connections

Service

Connections

Results

For Foster Youth

&

Neighborhoods

Leadership

Building

Social Supports

and Quality

Services

Successful

Foster

Youth

The TeamLocal

Movement

Visions For

Results

Family

Engagement


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Foster Skills Theory of Success

Theory of

Problem

Theory of

Change

Theory ofAction

Vision & Mission

What are the problems

were trying to solve?

Foster Youth are under

achieving because they

are put in circumstances

that are beyond their

control. The emotional

stressors, coupled with

the unstable

environments has led to

an army of children that

are not equipped with

the necessary tools to be

productive citizens.What are the unique strategies

and activities we can employ

to maximize scale of impact?

Our program model is

innovative and based on

empirical research. In addition,

we will focus our efforts on

national marketing campaigns

while employing business

strategies to increase our

effectiveness.

What are the levers we can

use to cause positive

change?

The levers we can draw on

are: experience in the foster

care system, work and

volunteer experience,

community, families, data,

and relationships.

Theory of Success is a model for evaluating success. Our mission will never

change, however our vision may. To create an everlasting impact we must

always ask appropriate questions.


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The grid below depicts the strategic focus areas of the organization and

shows the key areas of responsibility. The Together We Foster Skills

campaign holds a National Focus, and Foster Skills HQ holds a Regional

Focus in the Massachusetts and future satellite sites.

Organization Management

The questions are to

help management

gauge how active or

inactive they are in

the strategic focus

areas to identifygaps and address

needs

National

Focus

Regional

Focus

Legend

Strategic

Champions and

Donors

Program

Participants/ Alum

(ED, VP ProOps,

Advisory Board)

Community

Target Market

Advocacy & Service

(VP of Advocacy &

Service)

Networking

(VP of Social

Engagement)

Fundraising

How is Foster

Skills image?

Champions

Opinions

How are students

being

professionally

developed?

How is the

community at

large being

professionally

developed?

How are

Champions and

Donors being

socially engaged?

How are students

being socially

engaged?

How is the

community at

large being

socially engaged?

How are Champions

and Donors being

engaged to

advocate and serve?

How are students

being engaged to

advocate and

serve?

How is the

community at

large being

engaged to

advocate and

serve?


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Activity Assessment

Gauging interest in the

region

Publicizing Foster Skills in

the region

Communicating Chapter

Initiation processIdentifying Alpha Lead

Stimulating further interest

Finalizing the A-Team

Communicating activity to

broader membership and

gaining support

Building the organization

within the region

Establishing consistent

communications

Completing initiatives in

order to serve themembership

Communicating activity to

broader Donors

Orienting the new board

members

Establishing the regional

vision

Initiation Promoting Pilot Planning

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5

Sites Phases have been established to depict the evolution of the

organization in order to assure consistency, strength, and growth.

Communication is sent

to region

Individual expresses

interest in initiating

Sponsor from the

National Board identifiedConference call takes

place with board

Board designates Alpha

Lead

Primary

Focus

Mile

stones

Alpha Lead submits A-

Team list and reviews with

National Board

National Board recognizes

A-Team (Regional Board)

List of general body

membership created

Regular communications

A Networking, Professional

Development & Community

Initiative have beencompleted

X number of general

members recruited

Team Training & Vision

Workshop Complete (Pt. 1)

Initial project grid created

Second event held

Team Training & Vision

Workshop Complete (Pt. 2)Initial project grid finalized

Calendar of board meetings

and initiative timelines

created

Obtain a board member

sponsor to guide chapter

formation

Lead provides National

Board updates Bi-Monthly

via email

Guidelines National Board members

give periodic feedback

Regional activity now run

by A-Team

Sponsor is no longer part

of A-Team

Regular meetings are heldSponsor will lead workshop

Regional plans

communicated to National

Board

Launch

Establishing a local network

of Champions

Collecting contact

information of individuals

interested in being

membersIdentifying potential board

members

Kick-off networking

event completed

Initial list of individuals

interested in A-Team

positions created

Alpha Lead and sponsor

are the first official region

board members (A-Team)

Sponsor assists the Lead

where needed and

together they operate asa team


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Empirical Data

States we recruit to the cause

# of applicants interested

# of volunteers

Yearly Program Evaluations:Elise Dallimore

Yearly OrganizationAssessments: Jessica Kong

Student Success: BrendaBerkelaar - Numbers showing:For example, numbers showthat kids in foster care are not

committing crime at a highrate and their literacy ratesare going up.

Resources secured. DressClothes. Books.

Anecdotes

A kid stating that we impactedtheir life (anecdotal).

Parents talks about our impact

Talks about changes in child

Associates Anecdotes Reason why someone

donated.

Press about the positive workwe are doing in thecommunity

Reached Goals

Reached Goals

Empowerment. We show weare very good at something.Whether that be one thing ortwo things. That kids need thisone thing we are going toprovide. So, we can pick a skillthat we will teach kids that noone else has. That's why Ithink finance, advance compskills, and mechanical writing


Foster Skills Measuring Success

Program Success: Foster Skills impact will be felt right off the bat because the organization is a connector

and major resource. The services provided to children in foster care are tailored to benefit the child and

community


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FY 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

Evolution of the Organization

OrganizationActivity

KeyEvents


In the future this will reflect our impact.

Milestones

Reached

Building Curriculum

Developing Internal

Controls

Meeting with community

leaders

Attending communityevents to bring attention to

Foster Skills

Becoming an officially

recognized 501(C)3

Bridging Connection with

DCF to work with children Launching Website

Harvard Law School Town

Hall on Foster Care

YARN Program EOP & The

Home

Meeting with Mayor

Meninos Staff

Bring on Board od

Directors

Develop partnerships with

community organizations

Attending community

events to bring attention toFoster Skills

Develop Policy Initiative

w/ Greg Goodales Class

Organization rebrand

Worked with 450 Kids

Launched MyHome

Treehouse/Foster Care

Event

Taskforce Event

Congressional Caucus

Following Party

Together We Rise-Foster

General Catalyst Event

Dell Social Innovation

Challenge

Congressional Caucus

Following Party

Develop 3 policy

initiatives: 1 judge, 1 family;

educational stability act

Foster Care Awareness

Rally

Pivot on program, and

develop 8-week workforce

development program

Advise on housing policy

Bring on social media

person to focus on brand

Learn about impact

investment models and

potentially figure out how to

develop a for-profit IGA

(income-generating-

activity).

foster skills strategic plan

Documents