Many foster children can’t.  Their families are splintered and their lives touched by unthinkable sadness at an age when they should be exploring life and chasing butterflies. But new community collaboration between Child Protective Services and Wonder, Inc., a nonprofit agency devoted to helping foster children, aims to change that.

Wonder, Inc. matches children in foster care one-on-one with caring adult mentors 21 and older who know how to listen, support, and guide each child through fun experiences involving music, the arts, sports, volunteer service, dining out and nature. 

Mentors, or “guides” as Wonder, Inc. calls them, spend about 10 hours a month on outings and on the phone with the children, or “explorers.”
 
“We are trying to make it fun and accessible for people who want to be mentors,” says Diane Knorr, CEO of Wonder, Inc.  “Studies show that having just one adult offering consistent support makes a huge difference in a child’s ability to become a happy, healthy adult.”

“We want to make that happen.”

CPS is selecting foster children ages 6-12 who could benefit from enrichment activities, according to Mary Tarro, program planner in charge of the initiative.  So far nine children have been referred to the program with more slated for the fall. All have placements in foster family agencies and are in the Family Reunification, Permanent Placement or Adoption bureaus. 

Children may have low-to-moderate behavior problems but are otherwise stable. Their caretakers must approve their participation in the program.

Guides go through a screening procedure similar to the one performed by the Sacramento Court Appointed Special Advocate program.  They receive 15 hours of training and ongoing support from Wonder, Inc. in building trust and rapport, effective communication, managing difficult behaviors, planning fun, age-appropriate activities, understanding confidentiality and other legal requirements.  

Reimbursement of up to $250 is available to guides who can’t pay for all the activities.

Guides will work with their explorers even if the child goes home to his or her biological parents or is moved to a different foster home.

At the beginning of the yearlong journey, the guide and explorer meet to create a menu of activities in which the child will participate. Categories for outings are music, the arts, sports, volunteer service, dining out and nature.

“It’s similar to being a teacher for a year,” says Tarro. “There’s a specific time period for activities.”

Adults also have the option of continuing the mentoring relationship for additional years with the same child.

“Wonder, Inc. is not for therapeutic activities. It’s for enrichment activities,” adds Judy Pierini, program manager for Permanent Placement. “A lot of our kids don’t get to have them.”

Wonder, Inc. is recruiting for guides and would like to have 15 volunteers available by September 2004. The next training begins in mid October.
Knorr, who gave up a career in corporate human resources last year to follow her dream of improving the lives of foster children, would like Wonder, Inc. to spread to other counties throughout California.

“It’s not enough for foster children to survive growing up,” says Knorr. ”We want them to thrive. And with the help of enough consistent, caring adults, they will.”

Because of the potential for conflict of interest, CPS employees are not eligible to be Guides.