Turning survival into stories. Turning stories into strength.
Mentorship • Scholarships • Therapeutic Writing • Opportunity
About Us
Our vision is a world where every individual aging out of foster care has the tools,
support, and confidence to transform their experiences into empowering stories.
Our Mission
The mission of Fostering Futures Family Foundation A NJ Nonprofit Corp, is to offer mentorship, scholarships, and therapeutic writing opportunities to individuals aging out of foster care. We aim to turn survival into stories and stories into strength, empowering them to craft their own success. Our goal is for these writings to become published works that inspire entrepreneurship, generate income, and foster lasting resilience.
Our Vision
Our vision is a world where every individual aging out of foster care has the tools, support, and confidence to transform their experiences into empowering stories. We envision a future where these stories ignite entrepreneurial spirit, foster financial independence, and serve as a foundation for sustained strength and resilience. Through this transformation, we aim to create a community of inspired, self-reliant individuals making positive impacts in their lives and beyond.
Why Our Work Matters:
Across the United States, hundreds of thousands of young people navigate life without permanent family support.
• Up to 400,000 youth are currently in foster care nationwide
• Approximately 25,000 age out of care each year without stable support systems
• Nearly 50% experience housing instability or homelessness within four years
• Up to 70% are arrested by age 26
• Nearly 50% of the U.S. prison population has experienced foster care
• While 85% complete high school or a GED, only 4% earn a college degree
In the communities we serve:
• New Jersey — ~2,786 youth
• Illinois — ~19,855 (18,524 in Chicago)
• Missouri — ~14,000 (4,500 in St. Louis)
• Oklahoma — ~6,000
• Arizona — ~10,000
These are the very communities where our board members live, serve, and mentor.
This is why Fostering Futures Foundation exists.
What’s Possible?
Foster care is not the end of a story — it can be the beginning of something extraordinary.
Across generations, individuals who experienced foster care or adoption have gone on to become innovators, artists, athletes, and world leaders. Their journeys remind us that circumstance does not determine destiny.
Examples:
Business & Innovation
Steve Jobs (Apple), Dave Thomas (Wendy’s), Coco Chanel, Larry Ellison (Oracle)
Entertainment & Arts
Marilyn Monroe, Tiffany Haddish, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Cher, Eartha Kitt, Seal
Athletes & Public Figures
Simone Biles, Greg Louganis, Colin Kaepernick
Leadership & Public Service
Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, Gerald Ford
With support, mentorship, and opportunity, today’s foster youth can become tomorrow’s leaders.
That future starts here.
History of Fostering Futures Foundation:
Incorporated in 2025, Fostering Futures Foundation A NJ Non-Profit Organization (Fostering Futures Foundation) was established as a grassroots family-based non-profit dedicated to supporting youth who have experienced foster care. Built on the heart and vision of a team of volunteers, Fostering Futures Foundation was co-founded by a loving family whose story began in 2012, when they were united with two beautiful daughters through foster care.
The eldest adopted daughter, an avid reader, gifted writer, and published poet, became the inspiration behind the mission. Having discovered peace and healing through therapeutic writing, she believed that storytelling and self-expression could provide the same sense of empowerment and comfort for other children in foster care, especially those who may never be adopted and will eventually age out of the system. Her personal journey and resilience shaped the foundation’s purpose: to help young people discover their voices, find their paths, and celebrate their futures.
Fostering Futures Foundation also draws inspiration from public figures who experienced foster care and overcame adversity to create meaningful lives—individuals like Tiffany Haddish (Actor/Comedian), Sandra Bullock (Actor), Ice-T (Actor/Rapper/Philanthropist), Barry Keoghan (Actor), and many others. Their success is not simply a product of talent, but of strength, perseverance, and resilience—qualities the foundation aims to nurture in every young person it serves.
The organization is committed to working with high school–aged foster youth, preparing them for college, entrepreneurship, or other endeavors that align with their unique goals, needs, and personalities. Through scholarships, mentorship, and creative programs that encourage self-expression and growth, Fostering Futures Foundation empowers foster youth to not only envision brighter futures but to actively reach for them.
At its core, Fostering Futures Foundation believes in more than just providing resources—it believes in building strength, resilience, and confidence, so that every child aging out of care can step forward into adulthood with courage, vision, and the hope of achieving “greater.”
Meet Our Leadership
Service. Experience. Heart.
At the heart of Fostering Futures Foundation is a team of professionals,
caregivers, and advocates committed to uplifting youth and families through mentorship, education, and opportunity.
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Tonarelli, A., Cosentino, C., Artioli, D., Borciani, S., Camurri, E., Colombo, B., & Lelli, L. (2018). Expressive writing: A useful tool to take care of the person as a whole. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 170-. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00170 PMC
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Published Works & Authors Supported by Fostering Futures Foundation:
Dr. Cheryl Slaughter Hurst, author of Memoirs of an Adoptive Mother’s Meltdown: Motherhood, Mayhem, & Mental Health, is also a founding member of the Fostering Futures Foundation. Drawing upon her own experience raising two foster children, she transformed her personal journey into a therapeutic writing project that became the foundation for meaningful healing and storytelling.
The project soon expanded to include three other foster mothers who collectively had five daughters adopted from foster care. Their gatherings evolved into a safe and nurturing space where the women could connect, reflect, heal, and express thoughts and emotions they had long kept unspoken. United by shared experiences, they formed what they lovingly called their “mom tribe”—a circle of mothers devoted to supporting one another through the challenges and triumphs of parenting children who had endured trauma.
Together, they created a collaborative literary work that gives voice to the realities of raising children shaped by difficult pasts. They channeled their collective experiences into a single, fictional character named Sheila, who narrates their intertwined stories as though they were her own. Their seven daughters are represented by two fictional identical twins, Shayla and Nayla, symbolizing unity, resilience, and hope.
One hundred percent of the proceeds from this work directly fund scholarships administered through the Fostering Futures Foundation—supporting youth with foster care experience as they pursue education, empowerment, and new opportunities.
