Foster care alumni and advocates gather at a 2017 Foster Care Alumni of America FosterWalk in Texas.
A national group representing youth who have experienced the foster care system is conducting a slate of fundraising walks this summer to raise money for youth empowerment activities.
The “FosterWalks,” first held in 2014 and now in their fifth year, are part of a national campaign by Foster Care Alumni of America (FCAA) to build awareness of the needs and strengths of the foster care community, and to raise funds to support the organization’s vision to connect, empower and transform the lives of those in and from foster care.
The walks benefit the national organization and its local chapters.
“Funds raised from the FosterWalks empower foster care alumni through peer support, leadership development and child welfare advocacy at the state and national levels,” said FCAA President Travis Lloyd, in a column for Fostering Families Today, a sister publication of The Imprint.
The goals for the FosterWalk 2018 calendar are to raise $25,000, engage 1,000 people in participating, and promoting the social media brand #FosterStrong.
Virginia hosted a FosterWalk in 2016 to raise awareness about kids in foster care.
The 2018 Foster Walks take place:
• May 6 – Chicago, Illinois
• May 19 – Lithonia, Georgia
• May 19 – Blacksburg, Virginia
• May 19 – Olympia, Washington
• May 26 – Doylestown, Pennsylvania
• June 9 – Austin, Texas
• June 16 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
FCAA was founded in 2004, and has chapters in 23 states. The idea for the organization was planted in 1999 by the release of the “National Alumni Study,” a report by Casey Family Programs based on interviews with 1,800 former foster youth.
