PROGRAM  UPDATE:   January, 2008

Currently Fostering Hope has 10 teams from 9 congregations actively serving 10 foster families (10 foster couples, 54 children and 51 volunteers). All of these are mentored by Barbara Laura, our program coordinator. Approximately 18 additional churches representing a diversity of denominations have expressed interest in exploring Fostering Hope during 2008.

Although Fostering Hope is only in its second year, its results are impressive. All the constituencies involved in the program—foster parents, volunteers, agency directors, and pastors—have recognized the efficacy of the program and have encouraged its continuation and expansion. They have identified the “real differences” the teams have made in foster families:

• Foster families were able to take and keep sibling groups together because of the assistance of the team.
• With the support of the team, foster parents were able to persist and continue to work with extremely challenging children.
• The volunteers have supported foster parents through a number of intense crisis with foster children and minimized the disruption to the foster home.
• Stress levels have been significantly reduced among the foster parents.

As a result of the program’s positive impact, the board of Colarelli Foundation has committed to expansion of the program both in Colorado Springs as well as in other sites.  A member of the board has established a consortium of key individuals within the child welfare system in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The group is committed to establishing the Fostering Hope program there and has submitted a one year planning grant to enable them to develop the necessary relationships with the religious systems in Milwaukee.

To this end, the board of Colarelli Foundation elected to initiate a 501(c)3 operating foundation, named Fostering Hope.  This foundation would "own" the program, act to initiate the program in other areas, and use a model similar to that operating in Colorado Springs. In any given city, Fostering Hope would establish a partnership with the foster care agencies and with religiously oriented organizations such as Faith Partners who could administer the program, and develop relationships with churches.  The board conceives of this arrangement as a quasi "franchise model." The role of Fostering Hope becomes one of providing initial support and direction to the local organizations, providing staffing and training assistance, and maintaining the initial integrity and quality of the program.  While the foundation would provide initial start-up funding and support, each area/city would need to develop local resources and become self-sustaining within a specified time period, e.g., 2-3 years. The primary purpose of Fostering Hope then becomes one of supporting start-ups and managing the interface between the child welfare and religious systems. Additionally, an operating entity which “owns” the program should remove one more impediment to soliciting funds from outside the Colarelli family to expand the program. The over-all effort of Fostering Hope, becomes one of catalyzing and shepherding  congregational programs until they become self-sustaining, and then continuing to stimulate and support  the program in other congregations.