I tuned in to Oprah’s Lifeclass: The Tour with Bishop TD Jakes this past Monday night and was delighted to learn about Jimmy Graham, tight end for the NFL New Orleans Saints. I’m not a football fan but I am an advocate for youth in foster care and I was captivated as Jimmy shared his […]
Jimmy Graham: From Foster Care to Statistic Breaker Read More »
A Platform For Teen Males in Foster Care May is National Foster Case Awareness Month. The Teen Toolbox is opening our blog as a platform to spread inspiration and hope by highlighting the stories (successes and challenges) of teen males in the foster care system. We invite you to SHARE YOUR STORY. If the
A Platform For Teen Males in Foster Care Read More »
Being removed from your home is always stressful. Youth in foster care often have few personal belongings and carry the items they do have in trash bags as they are shuffled from place to place. Very often sheer survival is the ultimate goal. As a society, we stereotype all teens as difficult, selfish, or
Where Are The Teen Males In Foster Care? Read More »
Over the last five years that my daughter, JaMai, has organized her Pack-A-Purse Drive™ she has collected, sorted, and delivered a total of 951 purses and toiletries to teenage girls in homeless shelters, group homes, foster homes, and community programs. The annual Pack-A-Purse Drive was her brainchild – it spoke directly to her life as
First Annual Pack-A-Backpack Drive™ Read More »
Valentine’s Day is usually a holiday that you love or hate. Remember kindergarten when everyone in class received Valentine’s Day cards and gifts? I received Valentine’s Day gifts from my mother into young adulthood. I have done the same for my daughter (her Valentine’s Day packaged arrived at her dorm last week). For me
Give To Youth In Foster Care This Valentine’s Day Read More »
Resilient – rebounding; recovering readily from adversity; returning to its original form after being stretched or bent Do you recall your teen years with favor and joy? For many of us adolescence was a challenging time. Acne, raging hormones, peer pressure, and uncertainty plagued many of us. Although we may have had the body
Foster Teens: Handle With Care Read More »
I have always been told that there is safety in numbers. Whether taking a late night bus ride, going to a night club or simply taking a tour of a new city the mantra is still the same – it’s safer to be a part of a group. Does this still ring true when we
Is There Safety In These Numbers? Read More »
What does “A Teen’s Life Is Worth Documenting” mean to you? For a child in the foster care system it probably means those words that are written about them in their personal file. You know the file that precedes them at every meeting, placement, and court hearing. The file that attempts to explain the
A Teen’s Life Is Worth Documenting Read More »
In our work world, evidence-based practice and evidence-based research are King. Objectives, outcomes, and goals are commonplace. In my supervisory role I stress that we have to have proof that we are doing really works. I am a huge proponent of civic engagement and so as I was thinking about the upcoming Dr. Martin Luther
How Will Your Youth Serve? Read More »
After weeks of dropping hints, I announced on New Year’s Day that The Teen Toolbox will work for and with youth in the foster care system. Many people have supported the change but wondered why I decided to focus on teens in foster care and why I am making the decision now. The truth is
Why Foster Care and Why Now? Read More »