Youth Connections Advocates create care networks for children in Colorado foster care
Since 1983, Raise the Future has been finding caring adults to look after children living in foster care. It is the organization's mission statement: "Every child deserves at least one caring adult." Amy Kraft Rawls is on the team that makes those connections.
"I'm a Youth Connection Advocate with Raise the Future," Kraft Rawls told CBS Colorado.
At any given time, Kraft Rawls has about 13 children on her caseload. Most of them are teens, many of them are close to aging out of the system which is a time when having a network is so important. Emberleigh is 19-years-old. She went into foster care when she was 14, and she's been on Kraft Rawls' caseload for the last two years.
"She's probably one of the most special people that could be doing this job. A conversation never feels forced with her. It feels like I'm talking to a friend," Emberleigh explained. "She's always been extremely supportive of me and what I choose to do."
Kraft Rawls meets with each of her clients at least once a month often taking them to lunch or out for a fun time. It's the personal relationships with the young people that fuels her passion.
"I've been in many different roles, worn different hats, and this was a role where I could not only be a support but also be a mentor as well," she said.
While being a mentor is important, Kraft Rawls' main focus is creating connections for her clients. She starts with a deep dive into the child's case records which can often take 6 to 9 hours.
"It can be pretty heart wrenching to read the things that they have been through," she said.
She's looking for family members, past teachers, coaches...anyone who's been in the youth's network in their lifetime. She's looking to see if any of them would like to step up and be a support. Once she has a list of names, the detective work begins as she works to track those people down and contact them.
"Everybody deserves a family. I feel like it's a right for them. They didn't chose the life that they came from, and they deserve to be loved."
Finding the love that youth loose when they're placed in foster care is the greatest gift that Kraft Rawls can give.
"I wasn't talking with my auntie that I grew up with, and she definitely helped me make that connection," Emberleigh added.
That is one more connection that Emberleigh will have as she moved further into adulthood.
"I definitely have a lot of support. I have a big safety net of people so I know that even if I fail at something there's so many people to help me get myself back up. Amy is one of those people," she said.
LINK: Wednesday's Child on CBS Colorado
To find out more about the work that Raise the Future does, call (303) 755-4756 or (800) 451-5246 or go to raisethefuture.org.