Current Projects
Serving the Needs of Youth in Foster and Kinship Care
For the past 100 years, JLI has strived to effect lasting change in the lives of children and families through community grants, service projects, and volunteer hours. In 2022 and beyond, we are focusing our volunteer and charitable resources on supporting youth in foster and kinship care.
Each year, approximately 20,000 foster youth age out of the system, 20% of whom have an increased risk of instant homelessness. In 2020, in Indiana, there were more than 13,000 youth in foster care, a high concentration of whom reside in Marion County. Additionally, 5,500 children in Indiana are in kinship care, which is care provided by a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or other family member who is not their parent. These relatives receive little to no funding or support services.
The Junior League of Indianapolis will approach the problem with well-designed strategies for change. We are working to cultivate relationships with community partners that are already committed to working with foster youth and youth in kinship care and identify opportunities for advocacy, fundraising, and other philanthropic endeavors. We will also use our community grants program to assist nonprofits that support these populations.
Community Partners
In April 2024, we announced that we would partner with three organizations for the 2024-25 League year: Kids’ Voice of Indiana and Ausome Indy.
Why Kids’ Voice and Ausome Indy?
When we look at the mission and heart of the League, our goal is to improve the community through action and to be a catalyst for lasting change in the lives of children. Both of the organizations speak to that in numerous ways. Ausome Indy is providing critical support services to children with autism by providing sensory spaces in DCS offices that they can utilize during a transitional period in or out of foster care. Kids’ Voice’s mission is to “amplify the voice of children and youth within the legal system to improve individual outcomes and inspire system-wide advances.” There are so many ways we will be able to make an impact and live out our League mission in supporting these two organizations.
We encourage you to take some time to learn more about the wonderful work that these organizations are doing, and we will be leading several training, educational, and of course volunteer opportunities throughout the year for you to get to know them!
To learn more about Kids’ Voice and Ausome Indy take a look at these resources below:
Ausome Indy on Fox59: Sensory Spaces for Kids with Autism
Kids’ Voice of Indiana’s website
Kids’ Voice of Indiana’s Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
Questions? Email community@jlindy.org