Preparing to leave foster care
For teens ages 16 and older beginning to plan for work, education, housing, and the responsibilities that come with adulthood.
Practical Help After Foster Care.
Foster the Future helps Arizona teens and young adults ages 16–24 prepare for adulthood and navigate life after foster care. We provide practical guidance, career mentorship, and scholarship support for skills-based education and training.
Someone to Turn To When You Need Direction.
Signing a lease or choosing a training program can bring up questions you have never had to answer before. Many young people can turn to family for help. Those transitioning from foster care may have fewer people to ask. Foster the Future helps fill that guidance gap. We help young people understand their options and work through what comes next, whether they are exploring a career or facing an unfamiliar responsibility.
See How Support Works
Support for the Transition Into Adulthood.
Apply for SupportBuilding independence after foster care
For young adults through age 24 managing unfamiliar responsibilities after foster care without consistent guidance to fall back on.
Exploring a skills-based career
For young people considering trades or technical programs and looking for a route into work outside a traditional four-year degree.
Facing a gap in career funding
For young people who have found an opportunity but need financial help to cover training or other required career expenses.
Career Support Beyond Tuition.
The cost of starting a career can extend well beyond a course. A required exam or a set of tools may stand between someone and the opportunity they want to pursue. Foster the Future offers nontraditional scholarship support for young people transitioning from foster care. Funding can help with skills-based training and required expenses that other scholarships may leave out.
Short-Term Courses
Help with focused courses that teach practical skills and prepare young people for work in a specific field.
Certifications and Licensing
Help covering the credentials, exams, and licenses a young person needs to qualify for work in their chosen field.
Trade and Career Training
Support for technical education and hands-on training that help young people prepare for work in a trade or career.
Required Career Expenses
Help paying for tools, uniforms, supplies, and other required expenses that can stand between a young person and work.
Help With What Stands in the Way.
Some young people need funding to pursue an opportunity. Others need help understanding a responsibility or finding someone who knows the career they are considering. Support depends on the person’s goals, the resources available, and what would help them move forward.
Training Costs
Financial support may help cover course tuition, enrollment fees, and other required costs connected to a skills-based training opportunity.
Tools and Equipment
Help with required tools or equipment can make it possible to participate in training and prepare for work in a trade.
Exams and Licensing
Support may cover testing fees, certification exams, or licenses a young person needs before they can enter their chosen field.
Uniforms and Supplies
Help with workwear, safety gear, books, or training kits can address expenses that are easy to overlook when planning a career.
Everyday Responsibilities
Practical guidance helps young people understand rental applications, manage money, and find reliable help with responsibilities they have not handled before.
Mentorship and Career Access
Connections with experienced professionals give young people a place to ask questions, explore a career, and learn what the work involves.
Start With Where You Are.
You may know exactly which course you want to take. You may still be figuring out what interests you. The starting point is understanding your situation and what kind of help would be useful.
- 01
Talk About Your Goal
Tell us what you want to learn, pursue, or work through, even if you are still deciding where to begin.
- 02
Work Through the Questions
We help identify what is making the next step difficult and whether guidance, funding, or a professional connection could help.
- 03
Find Relevant Support
We explore available resources and opportunities that fit your situation, which may include mentorship, career exposure, or help with required expenses.
- 04
Navigate the Next Step
As you put a plan into action, we help you work through questions that come up and consider where to turn next.
Choose Your Next Step.
You can fund support, share your experience, or ask for help. Choose the option that fits why you are here.
DonateHelp fund career training and practical support for Arizona young people preparing for adulthood and life after foster care.
Become a MentorShare your time or professional experience to help a young person explore a career or navigate an unfamiliar responsibility.
Apply for SupportTell us what you need help with, whether you are exploring career training or working through a new adult responsibility.
“You do not need to have everything figured out before reaching out.”
Tell Us What You Need Help With.
You might be considering a training program, trying to cover a required expense, or looking for guidance on a responsibility that is new to you. Tell us where you are and what you are trying to do. We can help explore whether Foster the Future’s support fits your situation.
- You are ages 16–24 and preparing for adulthood or navigating life after foster care.
- You want help exploring a career, pursuing training, or understanding an adult responsibility.
- You are looking for guidance, a professional connection, or financial support for a career opportunity.