SJN Rise Above

Foster youth in Massachusetts often  face instability, trauma, and limited access to opportunities to support a well rounded development. Frequent lifestyle changes can affect academic success and sense of belonging. Costs of extracurricular  can be unattainable for families in tough financial situations. The Rise Above Foundation helps bridge the financial gap funding various activities including sports, arts, educational resources, and valuable experiences including Prom. It helps children foster a “normal” life experience. Rise Above has been facing funding limitations affecting the amount of people they can serve. More funding in the future could help more children succeed. 

Many foster parents across Massachusetts open up their homes to children in need, wanting to give them the best support that they can. But even with that commitment, the cost of providing opportunities beyond basic care—like extracurricular activities—can quickly become a barrier. “Rise Above granted a scholarship to help offset the cost of dance lessons. Dance has been a huge help with [my foster daughter’s] social anxiety as well as given [her] an outlet to express herself and learn to move her body in a positive way. Rise above has provided more than just funding, but encouragement foster parents so desperately need to continue on this journey. Helping bridge the financial gap many face when choosing to help extra children. This program is amazing!” said a foster parent who turned to Rise Above for help in getting her foster child involved in extra curricular activities. 

It is well known that youth who have been through the Foster care system often experience a lack of stability and routine. Being uprooted from familiar faces, schools, and other recognizable locations leaves youth feeling isolated and vulnerable. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, “near­ly 40% of fos­ter chil­dren and youth expe­ri­ence more than two place­ments each year.” This lack of placement stability, along with other traumas experienced entering the foster care system, leads to mental health issues among foster youth. Studies conducted by Medicaid indicate that as many as 57% of youths in foster care meet criteria for a mental disorder. These factors often negatively impact foster youths’ academic and social performance in school. Without a proper social network, Foster Youths are not pushed or invited to participate in higher education. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, by age 21, only 70% of Foster Youth have a high school diploma or GED. Studies have found that very few former foster youths actually get to attend 4-year college programs, with only around 4% obtaining such degrees. 

Alongside these issues facing both current and former foster youths, the importance of extracurricular activities gets completely glossed over. Extracurricular activities, such as team sports, clubs, and music lessons, are essential to the growth and development of children. Generally, parental guardians pay for any costs associated with such activities, but for foster youths who do not have such support, these extracurricular activities become inaccessible. While foster parents are permitted to enroll and send youths in their care to extracurricular activities, it is often unrealistic. School clubs require fees, team sports require the purchase of uniforms and equipment, and music or art lessons also come with a high cost. Foster parents receive limited financial support from DCYF, often not enough to cover enriching activities, especially for extended periods of time. It is vital that foster youths have access to extracurricular activities as they promote social development, improve mental health, and strengthen interpersonal relationships in the same way mentorship programs do. Organizations such as Fostering Healthy Futures (FHF) have seen positive results by implementing group and skill-based activities. They found that youths who engaged in group sessions had fewer mental health issues and overall had better self-esteem.  

Rise Above provides Massachusetts children in foster care with enriching activities and experiences. They might cover team sports fees, class trip funds, graduation/prom clothes, or even post-secondary education/training. Since its inception, Rise Above has served more than 18,000 youth in foster care in Massachusetts. In the 2024-25 year, they served 2,863 youth with 35% of their funds going towards sports activities, 33% for enrichment activities (e.g amusement parks tickets, family vacations), and 11% for education-focused activities (laptops, vocational programs). Rise Above relies heavily on donations and community volunteers. Each Care Package is made to match each youth’s needs and wishes and by funding these wishes, Rise Above wants to create positive experiences for youth in foster care. 

Youth can get involved by submitting an application with support or approval of a Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) social worker or through assistance from foster parents, teachers or other supportive adults. 

Participants who are eligible for the Rise Above program include children who are in the physical care and custody of DCF in Massachusetts, including youth in comprehensive foster care (CFC), independent living programs, group homes, and residential placements. Additionally, young adults who are 18 years of age or older who have voluntarily signed themselves in with the Massachusetts DCF services are also eligible.

The application process can be submitted not only by DCF social workers,  but also by the youth themselves, foster parents, or other support such as teachers, mentors or clinicians. Once submitted, applications are reviewed by the Rise Above Team on a rolling basis. Decisions are made by considering various factors including the availability of community resources, prior requests, availability of funding, and the nature of the requested activity. 

“Children who have been maltreated and placed in foster care are at risk for significant mental health problems including depression, posttraumatic stress, dissociation, social problems, suicidal behavior, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and conduct disorders”. Instead of treating trauma directly, Rise Above works to provide children with “normal” experiences, reducing the distance they may feel from their peers and providing them with enriching experiences.

There are qualifications that the youth has to meet to receive the care package which are: They’ve obtained their high school diploma or equivalent, and They’ve spent time in foster care as a youth, and They are still engaged with services through the Massachusetts DCF, and They are currently furthering their education in any way (vocational training, or a 2- or 4-year college). Children who are in physical care and custody of  the Massachusetts DCF, including youth in CFC, independent living,  group home, and residential placements. Young adults 18 years and older who have voluntarily signed themselves in with Massachusetts DCF are eligible to be part of Rise Above.

What they hope to improve by doing this 

Can take wording from their mission statement 

Instead of treating trauma directly, Rise Above works to provide children with “normal” experiences, reducing the distance they may feel from their peers and providing them with enriching experiences. 

What sets the Rise Above Foundation apart from the other programs is its focus on enrichment and engagement. Rise Above creates access to opportunities that many youth in the foster care system do not have access to. There are barriers within the DCYF system, and youth often miss out on social enrichment and activities that are considered normal for their peers. Rise Above funds a numerous amount of activities that includes sports and athletics, summer camps, art and creative activities, education and academic support, social and recreational activities, and others. 

Research supports the importance of providing access to enrichment activities for youth in the foster care system. According to ScienceDirect  approximately 60% of foster youth who participated in at least one extracurricular activity, and those who participated were significantly more likely to graduate high school. Overall, youth who were involved in a club or organization were twice as likely to graduate compared to those who did not have access to extracurricular activities. These findings highlight the importance of access to extracurricular opportunities, and supporting programs like the Rise Above Foundation which aim to increase engagement and participation. 

“Rise Above Foundation fulfills a highly unique mission… It is the opportunities to have ‘ordinary’ experiences that can be fundamental to the developmental course of young people. Research studies have consistently found this to be the case… such opportunities have a central role in child and adolescent development that can have numerous effects on creating a positive life trajectory.” says Mary Elizabeth Collins, a scholar from the Boston University School of Social Work. 

EVIDENCE OF IMPACT 

Data on efficacy (quantitative) 

Research-backed evidence:

Access to enrichment → lower rates of:

Depression

Anxiety

PTSD

Substance abuse

Qualitative 

“We work with children that have histories of complex trauma, and being exposed to extracurricular activities helps them with social skills, gives them new opportunities to help them dream big, it affects their self-esteem and it makes them feel like they’re a regular kid… Our children would not get the opportunity to participate in such events if it wasn’t for Rise Above.” – LaVerne Miller, Program Director, HopeWell

Quote from Cassie? 

““Rise Above has offered to pay for three months of music/piano lessons for my preschooler foster child. He has already had 3 lessons and it is an activity that brings him great joy and self-confidence. It also is very directly impacting his ability to focus and follow multi-step directions in order to complete a task, and to attune to subtle sensory cues. These are overall huge benefits for this little guy. I should add that it seems to be expanding his grasp of math concepts as well.”- Foster parent

While Rise Above serves their communities well, they are not without barriers and limitations. Rise Above is a Massachusetts based organization. That being said, while there are similar organizations and others that aim to provide funding to foster youth in need for certain things, none are quite the same. Rise Above provides experiences, opportunities, and things to make youth feel they fit in. They are given the opportunity to have a new prom dress, join the sport they always wanted to try after school, and enjoy experiences that would otherwise not be accessible to them. 

If organizations similar to Rise Above were more widely available, many more youth would be positively impacted and reap the benefits of this funding. Other programs provide partial funding for more essential services and activities, but Rise Above places value in the experience and personal development of foster youth– ensuring they feel a part of the community and get to experience the typical things with their peers is imperative for mental health. 

It is important to consider that while these resources and this funding is pivotal to making foster care an easier place to be for these youth, they do not replace therapy or constitute reform in the foster care system. Financial aid coming from the government, Rise Above, and any similarly structured organizations should be used in conjunction with therapy and other supportive resources to help youth process the feelings they have and how to better cope with their lived experiences. 

Naturally, organizations like this run into trouble finding adequate funding to ensure these vulnerable populations have resources available to them. According to Cassie Giardina, Rise Above’s director of programs and outreach, out of the roughly 9,000 youth in foster care in Massachusetts, Rise Above can provide for around 3,000 per year. While the parameters for receiving monetary support requires that there not be outstanding government funding available to go towards these resources, making some individuals ineligible, it is still a large financial undertaking that requires donations, support, and a lot of budgeting to ensure the maximum number of youth can benefit from the program. 

Rise Above is a testament to the fact that not all mental health solutions need to be clinical or therapy based. Sometimes, the “little things” like being able to attend prom or a senior field trip mean more and provide more security. When given the opportunity to feel they fit in and are able to live a normal life with their peers despite the adversity they may be experiencing. 

Foster care often focuses on crisis management, or handling things once they become an issue and require intervention. However, Rise Above tends to focus more on the developmental aspects of these complex situations. Harboring the opportunity for connections with other peers, and experiences to support their personal goals and desires can sometimes be the key to uplifting mental health. It is important to acknowledge that these activities and interventions don’t necessarily need to cost thousands of dollars to be impactful. 

Sometimes it truly is as simple as funding participation in a little league baseball group, or covering the cost of a prom dress and ticket to the event. These smaller cost initiatives can make an incredible difference in youth’s lives as they are often regarded as pivotal times in the high school experience, or an important memory from youth that will be looked back on and create lasting connections with peers. 

Effective programs should put an emphasis on reducing barriers that stand between youth and a sense of normalcy– rather than just adding services that can often feel inaccessible or are hard to find. The sense of normalcy can mean so much to those who feel on the outside of many things because of their circumstances, and sometimes providing that sense of security can help lift mental health. 

A sense of belonging and the opportunity to boost self-confidence and find new outlets and experiences is an essential part of growing up and figuring out who you want to be–  Rise Above aims to give youth exactly that and encourage their outlets and interests to prevail through the turmoil that can be associated with the foster care system. 

FUTURE / CLOSING 

Could this model expand and what would it need to do so

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