Fostering Community as Family | The Theory

Batman. Superman. Spiderman. They all had one thing in common. Before they were superheroes, they experienced the loss of their parents.  Often feeling isolated and alone, they hide their super powers. Similarly, youth in foster care are linked by a shared experience of trauma and loss. 

They too are isolated by the world and have super powers. Strengths that only a child growing up in care can obtain.  Like the X-Men, it takes a shared understanding and a safe place, to allow them to breathe, to lower their defenses, and to allow these strengths rise to the surface. Our youth need an advocate to consistently stay the course, to support them through this journey, and to hold the space. Peace4Kids is that safe place - where youth in foster care discover their strengths, build life-long connections and shift their story from being victims to being victorious. 

 

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Community as Family

our theory of change

At Peace4Kids, we employ a community attachment approach that we call “Community as Family”. Our youth, supported by a responsive, consistent and culturally sensitive community, develop a sense of belonging and permanence.

Youth in foster care may move homes several times in one year, and this lack of permanency contributes to an inability to form strong, positive relationships, especially with adults. Peace4Kids is unique in that it promotes a sense of stability amidst uncertainty. Trained staff and volunteers interface with youth on a consistent basis to model healthy relationship building and effective communication. Truly, the Peace4Kids community becomes a family for youth in foster care. Our core belief is that all youth deserve hope and possibilities. Committed to serving vulnerable children and youth in foster care, Peace4Kids creatively inspires them to discover their unique voice while providing the tools for success. We encourage the health and well-being of the individual by ensuring that they are a valued part of the whole. 

“Community as Family”, serves to:

  • Create group attachment opportunities. Where individuals have failed before, the consistent group dynamic represents safety and security

  • Organically provide opportunities for trust development

  • Change the expectations that foster youth have for adults and facilitate nutritious relationships