Imagine stepping into adulthood with no family to call for advice, no financial support, and no one to celebrate your achievements. This is the reality for thousands of foster youth aging out of the system each year. Many foster youth have experienced broken attachment bonds with the very people who were meant to nurture and care for them. They have come to believe that there is no one who they can depend on except themselves.
Without a safety net, many struggle with basic survival. Finding a job, securing housing, and managing daily responsibilities become overwhelming when no one has ever taught them how. The result? High rates of homelessness, joblessness, incarceration, and mental health struggles.
The church has a powerful role to play in bridging this gap. By providing transitional housing, financial literacy programs, job training, and mentorship, faith-based communities can ensure that aged-out foster youth are not left to navigate adulthood alone. With the right support, these young adults can thrive—proving that faith and community can change everything.
Advance the Faith is committed to restoring hope, building futures, and sharing God’s love with young people who need it most. Through our Vault program, we teach life readiness and financial literacy to foster children who are nearing “aging-out.”
We invite you to join us in this mission—through prayer, volunteering, or financial support. Together, we can prepare these students for a bright and successful future.
Learn more about how you can get involved here.
Jennifer Hand
Jennifer is the co-founder of Advance the Faith and the Advance the Faith Academy. She has over 15 years mentoring and coaching women of all ages. She is especially passionate about serving youth as they age out of foster care and discipling young adults. Jenn is currently pursuing her Masters of Counseling Psychology at Moody Theological Seminary. In her free time she loves cooking, reading and being outdoors.