Transformations By Atlanta Angels Inc

Atlanta Angels seeks to increase placement stability and heal trauma children and youth in foster care have experienced through the evidence-based TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention) model utilizing consistent and healthy relationships.

Our Love Box program’s goal is to provide intentional giving and relationship building for foster families and children, which increases normalcy so that: 1) The child in care can find healing; 2) Foster families are supported and have placement stability; and 3) Our community can support children in foster care and their caretakers.

Additionally, we plan to change these bleak outcomes mentioned for adults who experienced foster care in their youth by pouring into adolescents at-risk of aging out or who have aged out with a proven program that helps them to become more successful, by providing them with a healthy adult who cares about them as well as providing specific life skills.

Our Dare to Dream program’s goal is to provide mentoring to at-risk-to-age-out youth, which builds resilience so that: 1) The youth can thrive as a young adult, pursue a career, and live independently; 2) Our community can engage with and support foster youth; and 3) Our society, over time, becomes more hopeful and sustainable.

We seek to achieve the following program outcomes: 1) 75% of children will remain stable in their current foster placement or experience successful reunification with their family; 2) 80% of children and foster families will report an increased sense of emotional and social support; and 3) 80% of youth will report stable or improved academic achievement over the 12-month period of the programs.

Our programs’ innovative approach provides the community an accessible way to make a difference in the lives of children, youth and families in foster care as well as build relationships between community volunteers and children in the foster care system, and their caretakers, and provide a network of support for all. The combination of services offered through our programs provides a mechanism that can fully support the entire family, which increases resilience and normalcy, all leading to healthy development and an increased likelihood of success in adulthood for the foster child. These programs have been tried and proven successful in over 20 National Angels chapters nation-wide.

Project Evaluation Plan:

Atlanta Angels’ case managers use data management software to track the number of children and youth in foster care as well as foster families enrolled in our programs. This information includes: demographics, current and ongoing needs, as well as other services that the children and youth in foster care are receiving. The data management software also tracks community volunteers that are supporting our programs. This information includes: demographics, completion of liability and confidentiality waivers, background checks, fingerprinting, as well as any additional county volunteer certifications. However, our current data management program is cumbersome and we are not using it for its intended purpose. We hope to implement a new case management software this year, which will come at a higher cost to our chapter.

Another goal is to hire at least one full time Case Manager in 2021. This staff member will communicate regularly with foster families and volunteers as well as conduct informal check-ins monthly to obtain feedback from foster parents and volunteers, as our board members are currently conducting. Our Case Manager will also complete a more formal intake need assessment form and exit interview with each family at program completion. In addition, our organization will send an anonymous survey to foster parents and volunteers to offer feedback and rate their experience in the program. Results from check-ins, exit interviews, and surveys will be compiled and reviewed to determine program satisfaction.

Atlanta Angels has 3 full time staff members and 1-2 interns per year who are committed to pushing the mission forward. In addition, we have 12 working board of directors, hundreds of committed donors, as well as volunteers, who play critical roles in making the work that we do possible. In 2021 alone, the combination of all of these efforts looked like an incredible 350 children and 140 families served.
Our long-term vision is to reach and serve every single child and family experiencing the foster care system in metro-Atlanta through our Love Box and Dare to Dream programs. We believe that with the help of our community in building awareness, we will continue to grow our support base to a place where this vision will be realized.

Atlanta Angels measures its success in a number of ways:
1) Through the number of children and families who are consistently being served on a monthly basis through our programs (this number is currently at 42 children and 19 families monthly)
2) Through mandatory volunteer report forms, which outline the ways in which each youth and family is being served by our volunteers (including time spent, and progress in relationship with the youth/family, miles driven, and value of items given to the youth/family)
3) Through the number of children and families who are being served through events like our Spring Fling, Back to School Event, Holiday Basket Drive, Holiday Wishlist Fulfillment, and more
4) Through the number of families on our waitlist who are receiving one-time boxes while they are waiting to be matched with volunteers
5) Through feedback we receive from foster families in our programs, speaking to the impact that our programs and their volunteers have had on their children and family as a whole
6) Through families who are able to move to adoption because of the support they have received through our programs
7) Through the partnerships we form with DFCS and other child placement agencies, who refer families to our programs

To date, we have served hundreds of children and families experiencing foster care in Cobb, Cherokee, Fulton, Dekalb, Henry, Clayton, Pickens, Rockdale, and Paulding counties through our Love Box and Dare to Dream programs, as well as events, service projects, and one-time boxes. The impact of our Love Box and Dare to Dream programs have been documented mainly through anecdotal evidence thus far––and foster parent feedback, changes seen in foster children, volunteer reports, collaborations and partnerships built with child placement agencies and other community groups are clearly indicating success. We are seeing lives being impacted right here in our community. We are seeing children and families experiencing foster care differently.

“I had no idea fostering could be this good. We feel so loved and supported. With previous placements, every day was a struggle and I didn't know if we would make it. With the boys and all the support we have, I am positive we can give them everything they need for as long as they need us.” –– Beth, foster mom

“From the beginning, I have been really moved by how intentional all our new friends at Atlanta Angels have been. Whether it's been going to an event and being greeted so warmly or the specific questions asked to ensure they can match you with just the right person.” –– Abby, foster mom

Our vision for the future is to continue to expand our programs and reach. There are currently over 5,000 children in foster homes or substitute care services in our region. Our goal is to grow our funding, staff, and volunteer base to be able to serve every one of these children.