• Mission: Help One Child supports kids impacted by foster care and adoption through strengthening their families with tangible resources, education and community. Partnering with churches and community-based-organizations enables sustainable local connection and care.
According to the Help One Child website, the statistics for foster youth are sobering: The high school drop-out rate for foster youth is 27.9%; 80% of youth who entered foster care at age 12 or older leave the system through emancipation; 40% experience homelessness upon aging out of the foster care system; and 60% of U.S. native-born human traffic victims are foster youth.
•2024 update: This past year Help One Child saw 11,664 child beneficiaries from their programs and services and deployed more than 11,000 volunteer hours. They are committed to supporting families holistically through tangible, emotional, spiritual and educational resources, addressing critical needs for families while they navigate the after-effects of childhood trauma.
Education is key to equipping adoptive, foster and kinship parents to better care for their children. The Help One Child website states that 40% of children in foster care have three or more placements, but foster parents are less likely to initiate placement disruption when they are equipped with education surrounding behavioral challenges and a supportive community of people who understand the unique experience of a foster parent.
A variety of support groups offer families connection as well as education. Since launching their services outside of their founding region of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties in 2019, Help One Child now offers their full breadth of services everywhere they’re active. In seven counties around the San Francisco Bay Area, families are being strengthened by the work of Help One Child.
•Why the Holiday Fund is needed: As executive director Valerie Crane explained, “We know there is more to be done. As more connections are made in each region we are able to train up the community to wrap around families in need. And that’s where you come in. Help One Child is funded completely by compassionate individuals and local organizations.
“We strive to keep our program costs low by deploying an army of volunteers and are incredible stewards with $0.87 of every dollar going directly to the programs that empower families, make connections and impact lives.”
Help One Child
Location:
858 University Ave., Los Altos
Founded: 1993
Annual Budget: $686,000
Staff: 7 full-time,
2 part-time
Information:
helponechild.org
