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Shalita O’Neale is a former foster youth from Baltimore, Maryland and Founder & Executive Director of Maryland Foster Youth Resource Center. She entered kinship care at 2 years old and entered foster care officially at the age of 13. After several placements Shalita later ended up in a group home before going away to college. She […]
Shay Olivarria is a financial education speaker, former newspaper columnist, former foster youth and author of All My Mistakes: Money lessons for emancipating youth, 10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money and Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook. She teaches personal finance to youth in foster care through her […]
As we host our 6th Annual PACK A PURSE™ Drive in to collect and distribute purses filled with personal hygiene items to teen girls in foster care this December 2012, we will also use the Teen Toolbox blog as a platform to spread inspiration and hope by highlighting the triumphs of successful women foster care […]
Kea Theroux is a social worker who supports a national extension of the foster care system past age 18 for those who want to remain in care. Kea advocates from her own experience after she disclosed years of neglect which resulted in her spending the ages of 16-19 in the Louisiana foster care system. She […]
Humbly answering the call to inspire and uplift our nation’s foster children, Capri Cruz shares her life story with Nicki Sanders, The Teen Toolbox Founder. Looking at her life today, you would never guess the humble beginnings of this motivational speaker and two-time author. Capri Cruz began her life in the projects of New York City […]
Nikki J. is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur who “grew up” in the foster care system in Ohio. At a very early age, Nikki J. was caring for herself and her four siblings. The instability and lack of proper adult supervision resulted in the children’s placement in foster care before Nikki J.’s seventh birthday. She […]
5 Ways The Teen Toolbox Can Serve Your Youth 1) Packaged For Success™ Portfolio Development Program for teens helps teens put their best foot forward! During our one day professional portfolio development seminar, young people discover their strengths, record their achievements, create their own definition of success, and develop goals and action steps. The […]
SPOTLIGHT Teen of the Month Shorona L. November 2012 Shorona L. is a twenty year old junior in college in the state of New York. Her hobbies include shopping, spending time with friends and family, and cooking. Despite spending nine years in the foster care system, Shorona has decided to live life to the […]
#Fact: The more birthdays a child celebrates in the foster care system, the less likely they are of being adopted. Older children need families too. Foster care statistics according to the AFCARS Report for FY2011 (July 2012): 400,540 in foster care on 9/30/11 252,320 entered foster care during FY2011 104,236 children and youth waiting to […]