How Pathway Supports Foster Parents
Our team of dedicated Direct Care Mentors (DCMs) act as encouragers and constant support systems for Pathway children and teens.
DCMs spend 2-3 hours per week for one-on-one mentoring with individuals who may be in foster care, have been adopted or children from the community. During this time a therapeutic goal is worked in on, as deemed appropriate by each child’s counselor.
Mentors and activities provide children and teens with experiential and cultural enrichment, opportunities to build self-esteem, encourage exercise and personal hygiene, improve social skills, work on manners in public, and assist with learning needed living skills.
This program is a wraparound support service offered to our Licensed Foster Caregivers and the community. There are three services offered that our Direct Care Mentors (DCM) are responsible for which include one-on-one mentoring, group support, and childcare for training.
One-on-One Mentoring
A DCM is assigned to spend usually 2-3 hours a week or bi-weekly with a youth in our Foster Care. Our DCMs also work with youth who have been adopted from the community or youth who come from a biological family that need extra help. During mentoring, the DCM can take the youth to various activities of the youth’s choice: a movie, the park or bowling for example. While spending time with their foster care mentors, a goal is worked on as well, including social skills, self-esteem or anger issues.
Group Support
A DCM is assigned to help with our Independent Living (IL) group activities. Sometimes a DCM will be asked to just be an extra hand or to help take youth out into the community.
A DCM is assigned to help with our Independent Living (IL) group activities. Sometimes a DCM will be asked to just be an extra hand or to help take youth out into the community.
Childcare for Training
Two DCMs will be assigned to help with childcare while Pathway is having a training at the office. Most of the time, the youth attending will be foster youth. We will have programming for the night by giving the children activities to do while they are waiting for the training to be over.
EVERY Mentorship Matters
Mentoring creates meaningful connections. The more healthy adult relationships a child forms, this greatly increases their ability to overcome and cope with past traumas.
Did YOU know? Children who are at risk but have a foster care mentor as part of positive interventions are…
- 52% less likely to skip school
- 55% more likely to enroll in college
- 81% more likely to participate in school activities
- 78% more likely to volunteer
