Good luck, Simone Biles! From all of us at Friends of the Children, we are cheering you on at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Your passion and dedication to empowering youth facing challenges like foster care, poverty, and mental health have been truly inspiring. Your support means the world to us, and we're honored to have you as a champion for our children. Check out this video from our heart, where amazing youth and Friends – paid, professional mentors – from across our national network send their best wishes. Go Team USA!
Friends of the Children
Non-profit Organizations
Portland, OR 7,140 followers
Impacting generational change by pairing youth facing the greatest obstacles with a paid, professional mentor.
About us
Friends of the Children was founded in 1993 in Portland, OR with just three Friends—salaried, professional mentors—and 24 children. Today, we are a national network with 37 locations across the country. Friends of the Children was founded by Duncan Campbell, a successful business entrepreneur whose own troubled childhood inspired him to found the organization. Our innovative model pairs children who are in foster care or in high-poverty schools with a Friend. Each child selected for the program has a Friend by their side from kindergarten through high school graduation—12+ years, no matter what. Research has shown that to break the cycle of generational poverty, children need long-term, relationship-based support to graduate from high school, remain free from involvement in the criminal justice system, wait to parent until after their teen years, and pursue opportunities through post-secondary education, serving our country or finding living-wage employment. Third-party evaluation of program graduates shows that: • 83% of our youth graduate with a high school diploma or a GED; • 93% remain free from juvenile justice system involvement; • 98% wait until after their teen years to become parents; and • 92% go on to enroll in post-secondary education, serve our country, or enter the workforce.
- Website
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https://friendsofthechildren.org
External link for Friends of the Children
- Industry
- Non-profit Organizations
- Company size
- 201-500 employees
- Headquarters
- Portland, OR
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 1993
- Specialties
- mentoring, youth, social services, and poverty alleviation
Locations
Employees at Friends of the Children
Updates
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For over 30 years, Friends of the Children’s program has shown that investing in paid, professional mentoring improves mental health outcomes and reduces burdens on existing care systems. Our Friends are equipped to support and intervene when mental health challenges arise, helping every child recognize their unique abilities and navigate life’s challenges successfully. July is BIPOC Mental Health Month and Friends of the Children is committed to addressing the nation’s youth mental health crisis head-on. To learn more about how Friends of the Children’s mentoring model promotes emotional well-being and resilience for children facing significant barriers, including children of color and those in rural communities, please visit: https://bit.ly/3wigR6z
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Friends of the Children's July newsletter is here! From summer reading challenges to outdoor adventures, youth in our program continue to get consistent mentoring support through the summer. Friends - Western Montana has launched their Flathead Nation program, connecting youth with long-term mentors who are a part of their Indigenous culture. Friends of the Children chapters in Colorado Springs and Boston were featured in local media highlighting the unique ways the program model is being leveraged to address needs in their communities. Finally, our national network continues to collaborate with one another to gain insights and improve our mentoring practices through local chapter visits and a Program Convening in Chicago. To read more about these summer highlights, please visit: https://bit.ly/4cJUJWs
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Exciting news! Grammy-winning pop star Ciara and Super Bowl champion quarterback Russell Wilson, longtime supporters of Friends of the Children, have released their inspiring children's book, "Why Not You?" This picture book encourages young readers to see the value in themselves, be brave, and go after their biggest dreams - no matter what! It is a perfect celebration of building self-esteem and perseverance and a beautiful reminder that every child has the potential to achieve their hopes and dreams! To order the book today, please visit: https://amzn.to/45r8DKo
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Over the past few months, Friends of the Children chapters nationwide have hosted incredible events to celebrate our impact on children and families! From breakfasts and dinners, social hours, Friendraisers, stunning Galas, and more, our chapters have worked hard to raise support for Friends of the Children's mission. Congratulations to all the chapters on their successful events and the millions of dollars raised to support our long-term commitment to youth and families across the country! Follow the tags to check out their posts to see their events!
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Friends of the Children partnered with billups for National Foster Care Month and National Mental Health Awareness Month! The donated digital advertisements from Billups appeared in 25+ cities with thousands of traditional outdoor units and digital kiosks/charging stations that featured our campaign. We are so grateful for these ads bringing awareness to our work in serving children and families who have experienced significant adversity and face systemic obstacles – such as being impacted by foster care and/or experiencing barriers to accessing mental health supports. #PutChildrenFirst #FosterOurFuture #MentalHealthMatters
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A very warm welcome to the newest member of the Friends of the Children - National team! We are thrilled to have Veronica Willeto DeCrane as our Tribal Program Coordinator. Veronica has been an advocate for Indigenous youth in the fields of Indian Education, youth development, and child trauma for fourteen years. We asked Veronica about joining Friends of the Children and she said: "Growing up on my reservation, I have experienced for myself how much of a difference it makes to have a trusting, caring, dependable adult in your life. Working at Friends of the Children is an honor for me because now I get to give back by helping other Indigenous youth foster this same kind of connection. I have the privilege of joining the Tribal Program and coming alongside Tribal Nations and communities as they intentionally nurture these significant relationships for their children and youth. I'm looking to this new role - new to me and to the organization - and sharing my experience in Indigenous education, youth development, and child trauma. To know that we will be working together to ignite generational change one youth as a time, is so exciting to me!"
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Every June 19, Friends of the Children proudly honors Juneteenth, a pivotal day commemorating the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans. This day of jubilation marks the moment when enslaved people in Texas were finally notified of their freedom. At Friends of the Children, we are committed to ensuring Black children and staff are valued, respected, and honored. We celebrate Juneteenth not just as a historic milestone, but as a continuous journey towards equity and belonging. We are proud to honor the pride, resilience, and contributions of Black Americans within our program and communities.
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Friends of the Children's June newsletter is here! This month, celebrate Pride with us as we support our LGBTQIAP2S+ youth, honor the amazing achievements of our youth and graduates, commemorate Juneteenth, and check out an impactful op-ed by Friends of the Children - Chicago on addressing the literacy crisis. To read the June newsletter, please visit: https://bit.ly/3xhN2HJ
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