Friends of the Children-Seattle

Mission

Friends of the Children - Seattle (Friends-Seattle) is dedicated to impacting generational change by supporting youth facing the greatest life obstacles in our community through relationships with paid professional mentors for 12+ years—no matter what.

How It Works

Each young person deserves the chance to discover their own potential to create positive change for themselves and their community. We help break cycles through our proven and courageous model as follows:

1. In partnership with over 100 schools in the Greater Seattle region and referrals from the foster care system, we select and identify youth that could receive the most benefit from our long-term mentorship program.

2. We pair individual youth with a professional mentor from kindergarten through high school completion, that's 12+ years—no matter what. Taking a whole-youth approach, we involve families, caregivers, and the greater community throughout each young person's time in the program. Mentors provide stability, consistency, and serve as a partner for youth to advocate and succeed for themselves in their lives.

3. After 12 years in the program, youth are prepared to navigate adulthood with:

• Readiness for post-secondary education and/or employment.
• Developed positive goals for the future with an awareness of options and opportunities for the future.
• Developed self-awareness, confidence, and social-emotional health skills.
• Developed healthy lifestyle choices, a deeper connection with their community, and a support system carried into adulthood.

In 2024, mentors spent a combined 33,984 hours with youth.

Through outings, mentors and youth spend intentional time together either at school, in the neighborhood, or out in the community. Together, they work towards individualized Roadmap Goals aimed at improving school success, healthy choices, and social-emotional skills. Outings can include activities such as:

• Working with teachers or advocating for individualized academic plans and supporting older youth to advocate for themselves.
• Creating connections with other youth, caring adults, and community resources. 
• Exploring interests and sharing in new experiences, like visiting museums, trying new foods, building new skills, or exploring outdoor activities.
• Connecting youth to career-building opportunities like internships and job shadowing.
• Helping youth build coping skills and regulate emotions.
• Mentors remaining as a consistent adult in the young person's life as they navigate the foster care system.