Foster Angels of South Texas: Fostering Opportunities for Children in Foster Care https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/proposals-2018/foster-angels-of-south-texas-fostering-opportunities-for-children-in-foster-care https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/@@site-logo/sitelogo-75x75.png

Foster Angels of South Texas: Fostering Opportunities for Children in Foster Care

Additional Information
Used for	Our mission is to improve the lives of children in foster care – ensuring each child has his/her basic needs met and to provide life-enriching experiences whenever possible. We offer help to foster children in South Texas when they are experiencing their greatest moment of need. These children have experienced various forms of abuse and neglect and are further traumatized by the removal from the only home they’ve ever known.
Benefits	Children in foster care can look at changing placements up to ten times. Without a stable home and educational environment, children in foster care find it significantly harder to thrive. This results in higher rates of school dropout, unemployment, homelessness, drug dependency, and involvement in the justice system.
Proposal Description	There are over 4,100 children in foster care for Region 11 – the service area for Foster Angels of South Texas (FAST). These children have experienced trauma in the form of physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse and neglect. When children enter CPS custody it is typically without warning and with very little belongings to bring with them – usually just the clothes on their backs. In 2017, FAST served 2,800 children in foster care. Through a positive relationship with Child Protective Services (CPS) requests were made to FAST to cover costs including (but not limited to) the following: • Basic needs – cribs/beds, healthcare, clothing, food • Education – school supplies, tutoring, summer school fees, driver’s education courses, SAT or GED training classes • Recreation – summer camps, sports’ fees, transportation Our assistance to children in foster care has grown stronger and more efficient over time. We are able to fulfill all requests within a 24-hour timeframe, allowing CPS to give children in foster care opportunities to succeed and experience a sense of normalcy. Our goal for 2018 is to increase the number of foster children served to 3,000. In order to reach this goal and continue assisting foster children in South Texas we humbly request continued support from The Dudley Dougherty Foundation in the amount of 5,000 dollars. Every dollar granted to FAST will go directly to foster children in need. We believe it’s that one moment of caring, given at just the right time, that translates into a lifetime of difference.