If you were to start a nonprofit organization, what or who would it benefit and why? by Amaria
Amaria's entry into Varsity Tutor's February 2020 scholarship contest
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If you were to start a nonprofit organization, what or who would it benefit and why? by Amaria - February 2020 Scholarship Essay
Wanting to provide the best help for people has always been the driving force behind non-profit organizations. They provide excellent services for little to no profit and there's a lot of non-profit organizations that we all can donate to or try to help. I would love to open a non-profit organization to help with children in the foster care system, because that is a weak part in the social services structure.
Foster care is a system where a minor is placed into a ward, group home, or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent" or with a family member approved by the state. Children can be put into the foster care system for a variety of reasons, and in theory the foster care system is great, because if a child is not getting adequate care at home, they should be removed from the home and placed in a stable environment. Sometimes these kids can be put into nice, loving households that have structure and help they grow and learn, but this is not always the case. There are children who are neglected within the foster care system and these kids are often overlooked.
As of 2019, there are approximately 440,000 foster youth nationwide and within four years of aging out, 50% have no earnings, and those who do make an average annual income of $7,500, so kids who age out without finding a forever home will struggle with their financial situation, and will have a harder time adjusting to the adult world.
It's sad that the foster care system doesn't pay much attention to the older foster care kids, and help them sort out their next steps in life so they can go down the right path, so that's what my non-profit organization would do, I would help foster care kids of all ages, but we would provide special programs and services for children 15 and up, and help prepare them for their next stage in life.
