Healing through Performance-Based Practice Foster Care Unplugged uses creative arts as a pathway to healing and empowerment. Through our unique Performance-Based Practice model, youth impacted by foster care, child welfare, and life challenges turn their experiences into stage plays, films, and programs that build emotional resilience, confidence, and leadership. It’s more than art — it’s transformation through storytelling.
Foster Care Unplugged’s 12-week trauma-informed program helps youth heal from past experiences while building skills for a safer, more resilient future. Our model addresses how trauma can impact personal choices, behaviors, and self-esteem —and empowers participants to make positive, lasting changes.
Our program alumni share their experiences with Foster Care Unplugged and how it has influenced their lives.
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Hear the stories of impact directly from those we've touched. Our testimonials showcase the real-life transformations and the effects of support.
"When I first arrived, I was curious about the absence of a script. They explained that the script would be crafted from our personal experiences. As I read through the developing script, I realized, 'Wow, this truly represents us."
"My acting coaches are inspirational to me. I used to be afraid to speak and to tell people what I really think. In this program, I felt like I was able to be myself because, in art, that's what it's all about: being yourself."
"It's very therapeutic for me because I'm more comfortable now. I'm very confident in sharing my story, you know? I don't sit there and cry and sob anymore. Now, I'm here to be an inspiration for other people."
Dive into our blog where stories come alive. Discover inspiring narratives, insights into our initiatives, and thought-provoking articles that shed light on foster care.
Did you know that youth within the child welfare system are more inclined to be targeted into human trafficking?
The "Brother for Brother" initiative is a movement with various partners within the Foster Care Unplugged advocacy community that allows various male subgroups and grass roots organizations in the community opportunities to become mentors to youth
Got questions? We've got answers. Explore our FAQ section for quick insights into our work, how you can get involved, and details about our impact.
Our program primarily focuses on teenagers, but we also work with children who are around the national average age for entering foster care, which is approximately seven years old.
While the statistics are not as high as we would hope, approximately 50% of children in foster care are eventually reunited with their biological families after thorough vetting.
Foster children often face numerous challenges that can lead to increased stress and mental health issues, such as PTSD, compared to their peers in the general population.
There is a significant overrepresentation of minority groups, with Black and Native American children being disproportionately present in the foster care system compared to their population percentage.
Over 400,000 children are currently in foster care in the United States.
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