The nature of foster care - especially for older kids, teens, and young adults - means bouncing from home to home and school to school with little time to develop long-term relationships with peers, other foster youth, and adults.

Adult mentors and role models are necessary in the lives of all young people, and make a significant difference as foster youth transition from state care to interdependent adulthood. 

Are you interested in becoming a mentor in our Real Connections program? Hooray! We’re so glad you’re here! What does it mean to be a mentor? A mentor:

• Champions the life of a young person, encouraging their path and supporting their challenges.

• Commits to meeting with his/her mentee for a minimum of one hour/week for a year.

• Meets in mutually agreed upon spaces with their mentee.

• Is honest, positive, dependable, has a sense of humor and can relate to teens + young adults.

• Communicates with Foster Forward staff who support the mentoring relationship.

The path to becoming a Real Connection mentor is simple and supported by our staff at every step of the journey. Here’s what you’ll need to start the process before being “matched” with a mentee:

• A completed Real Connections mentor application

• Three personal references

• Appropriate background checks and clearances (we’ll provide you with information on how to get this)

• Individual interview by Foster Forward staff (we promise we’re engaging and nice)

• Training session conducted by our staff

Ready to learn more? Contact Michelle Morel at (401) 438-3900 Ext. 123 or at michelle.morel@fosterforward.net. To read more about the Real Connections program, Click Here.