THE WEEK. THANKS SO MUCH! A NEW NONPROFIT IS HELPING KIDS IN FOSTER CARE. AND JOINING US LIVE THIS MORNING WITH MORE IS ARIEL SKINNER WITH FOSTERING BRIDGES INCORPORATED. GOOD MORNING. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. GOOD MORNING. IT’S A PLEASURE. SO WE’RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT FOSTERING BRIDGES IN JUST A MOMENT. BUT FIRST YOU’RE A LICENSED SOCIAL WORKER AND YOU WORK WITH MENTOR MARYLAND. TELL US ABOUT THAT. YES. SO I WORK FOR MENTOR FOSTER CARE. WE ARE A FOSTER CARE AGENCY. WE SPECIALIZE IN SERVICING INDIVIDUALS, YOUTH WHO HAVE MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES. AS A RESULT OF THE TRAUMA THEY’RE EXPERIENCING. SO THEY’RE PRETTY SEVERE. AND WE ARE TRAINED TO TRAIN OUR FOSTER PARENTS TO TO CARE FOR THEM AND SUPPORT THEM. WE ALSO HAVE A MEDICALLY FRAGILE PROGRAM, AND WE SERVICE YOUTH WHO HAVE COMPLEX MEDICAL NEEDS. WE ALSO HAVE A TRANSITION PROGRAM FOR OUR TEENS, AND WE SUPPORT OUR INDEPENDENT LIVING YOUTH, WHO ARE GOING ON TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL ADULTHOOD. AND THEN ON YOUR OWN, YOU HAVE CREATED THIS NONPROFIT FOSTERING BRIDGES. WHAT IS THIS? YEAH. SO IT’S AN ORGANIZATION I REALLY CREATED. WHAT I NEEDED TO BE HONEST AND IT’S AN ORGANIZATION THAT HELPS TRANSITION AGE FOSTER YOUTH WHO ARE EXITING THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM. AND WE ARE A SAFETY NET, IF YOU, SO TO SPEAK. WE OFFER A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ANNUALLY THAT SUPPORTS YOUTH GOING TO COLLEGE FOR THE FIRST TIME. AND WE ALSO OFFER MENTORSHIP AND VARIOUS OTHER PROGRAMS. SO, SO EXCITED TO TO GET STARTED. IT’S IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU WORK WITH A LOT OF GREAT FAMILIES, BUT A LOT OF THESE KIDS, THEY THEY DON’T HAVE SOMEONE SETTING ASIDE A COLLEGE FUND FOR THEM. THEY DON’T HAVE SOMEONE HELPING THEM WALK THROUGH THE STEPS. AND THAT’S WHERE YOUR ORGANIZATION WILL COME IN. YES, YES. SO IS GREAT. YEAH. NO. ABSOLUTELY. I REMEMBER AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE AND GOING TO COLLEGE FOR THE FIRST TIME. AND NOT HAVING THE ESSENTIALS THAT I NEEDED. AND THANKFULLY THERE WAS A LOCAL CHURCH THAT PROVIDED THAT TO ME. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I GAVE BACK AND PROVIDED THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHERS THROUGH FOSTER AND BRIDGES. YEAH. ARIEL, TELL ME ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE THAT’S WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT FOR YOU. AND THIS IS WHY YOU CAN CONNECT SO WELL WITH FOSTER KIDS. YOU WERE ONE YOURSELF. YEAH. NO, I ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE THAT THOSE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE SHOULD BE A PART OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM. WE CAN CREATE THE MOST CHANGE. WE KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO HAVE EXPERIENCED IT. AND I JUST WANT TO BE AND BUILD WHAT IT WAS THAT I NEEDED. RIGHT. AND TO TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THESE KIDS ARE GOING THROUGH AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THE AGE OUT PERIOD IS 21, SO THERE’S A THERE’S A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAPPEN BETWEEN BEING DEPENDING ON HOW LONG YOU WERE IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM FOR 15 YEARS. SOME KIDS ARE IN IT FOR THAT LONG, SOME KIDS ARE IN IT FOR THE ENTIRE TIME. SO TO HAVE THAT SORT OF BRIDGE TO HELP THEM IS CRUCIAL. ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. AND THAT’S WHAT WE SERVE TO DO. ARE YOU HAPPY WITH SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT YOU’RE STARTING TO SEE IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND? WE WERE TALKING OFF CAMERA ABOUT HOW THERE IS A NEW LAW NOW THAT MANDATES THAT FOSTER CHILDREN HAVE A SUITCASE TO PUT THEIR THINGS IN WHEN THEY ARE MOVED FROM FOSTER HOME TO FOSTER HOME. IT IS UNBELIEVABLE TO ME THAT UNTIL THIS POINT, THIS LAW WAS MADE. THEY WERE BASICALLY GIVEN TRASH BAGS. YES. WHICH WHICH MAKES FOSTER CHILDREN FEEL LIKE TRASH. YOU KNOW, I’M SO GRATEFUL THAT THIS IS A NEW LAW AND REQUIREMENT. OUR YOUTH DESERVE THE UTMOST SUPPORT IN IN IN JUST THEY DESERVE EVERYTHING. JUST LIKE YOU AND I. WE WOULDN’T WANT OUR ITEMS MOVED IN TRASH BAGS, RIGHT? SO LET’S GIVE THEM THAT LEVEL OF RESPECT AS WELL. IF SOMEONE WANTS TO GET INVOLVED IN EITHER MENTOR MARYLAND OR GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR BRAND NEW NONPROFIT, WHICH IS INCREDIBLE, IS SUCH AN ACCOMPLISHMENT. HOW DO THEY DO THAT? HOW DO THEY HELP? YEAH, SO THERE’S ABOUT 4300 YOUTH WHO ARE IN FOSTER CARE IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND AND ABOUT 1400 LICENSED FOSTER HOMES. SO CLEARLY THE NEED IS PARAMOUNT. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN BEING A FOSTER PARENT, YOU HAVE TO AT LEAST BE 21 YEARS OLD, PASS A BACKGROUND CHECK, AND HAVE RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION, AND YOU CAN VISIT MENTOR FOSTER CARE DOT COM IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FOSTER AND BRIDGES INC, WE ARE NEWLY FORMED. WE WERE JUST BORN. HOWEVER, FEEL FREE TO FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA AT FOSTER AND BRIDGES INC ON INSTAGRAM AND BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR OUR WEBSITE. ALL RIGHT. WE’RE GOING TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR YOU TO COME BACK HERE AND TELL US MORE ABOUT HOW WE CAN HELP IN THE FUTURE. ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTE