Get Involved with AFS

There are many ways to positively impact

foster youth and families in Northern California.

CONTACT: Director of Development, Simone West, swest@afs4kids.org, (510)839-3800

Invest in a Foster Youth

AFS strives to make sure every foster youth we care for has access to critical resources that will help them become independent individuals in their communities. There are many ways individuals, community organizations and corporations can have a positive impact on the foster youth and families cared for by AFS in Northern California.

Every child AFS cares for should have access to critical needs and services to help them thrive.

When a youth is removed from their home, they usually leave with very few of their own belongings. Foster parents don’t know ahead of time who they’ll be caring for, thus making it challenging when a youth is first placed in their home. AFS caseworkers are on call 24/7/365 and help make sure every child feels safe and secure when they enter placement. Caseworkers often have to rush out and purchase clothing, backpacks or a even a stuffed animal to help a child get settled in their new foster home.

Once in care, AFS provides critical needs and services that are only available with funding from grants and donations such as tutoring, enrichment, therapy tools, transitional housing supplies and certain school related expenses. Examples of critical needs and services that may be funded with grants and donations:

$5000 - emergency placement kits for 50 newly placed foster youth to ease their transition

$2500 - housing assistance for 6 Transition Age Youth (TAY) who are striving for independence

$1500 - 80 hours of intensive services for foster youth with serious developmental disabilities

$500 - 20 backpacks for foster kids to go to school with confidence

$250 - 3 car seats to transport our youngest foster kids to therapeutic visits with their family

$50 - enrichment fees for one foster youth to provide a therapeutic outlet and build self-esteem

"Extracurricular participation was associated with better mental health in boys and girls. Two or more hours of screen use after school was linked to poorer mental health, especially for girls. Mental health was best when youth participated in extracurriculars and also had shorter screen time." Science Daily, Nov. 2020