The other day my Treehouse colleagues and I met to identify the best ways to support a group of young people living on Treehouse Circle. They will all be graduating from high school over the next four years and we want to help them achieve their life goals. So we made a list of the kids and their aspirations. Then we sat back and reflected on the life trajectories of this amazing group of young men and women.

One young man, who is currently editing his college admissions essay, is searching for a college or university that will help him focus on Environmental Science and Theatre. His sister is looking at colleges that will lead her into the fields of Social Work and Education. Their neighbor is applying to Culinary Schools so she can be a chef on a cruise ship. One of her big sisters plans to be a Physical Therapist. Another is taking the necessary courses that will lead her to a career as a clothing designer.

Our young people at Treehouse are wonderful examples of how children who have experienced foster care can flourish when we help them find their places in loving, connected families and supportive communities.

Unfortunately, this group of Treehouse teenagers is the exception. The outlook for most kids who have been in foster care isn’t as optimistic.

There are nearly 500,000 children in foster care in the U.S. Each year, 25,000 of these kids “age out” of state child welfare systems and are sent out into the world without all the supports we take for granted: enduring family relationships, community connections, a home.

The result: they face homelessness, unemployment, incarceration, teen parenting, isolation and exploitation as they make their way into adulthood. There is no one investing in their lives or their futures. No adults are listening to their dreams, offering to mentor them, or connect them to the right people and resources to guide them. No one is giving them feedback on their college admissions essays, taking them to visit schools, or even making sure they have a hot meal.

• 65% emancipate from foster care without a place to live.
• 25% become homeless within the first two years
• 51% are unemployed
• 25% become incarcerated
• Less than 3% go to college
• Within 4 years, 60% have had children, and those children are twice as likely to be placed in foster care.

It’s time to come together to create new realities and life outcomes. For our children, future generations and our nation.

The Treehouse Foundation is leading the way forward. We are collaborating with an energetic, committed group of individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations, child welfare organizations, educators, mental health professionals, colleges, universities, and visionary funders to Re-Envision Foster Care in America.

Please join us! To find out how you can offer your expertise, time and financial resources, go to www.treehousecommunities.org.

Thanks to the generosity of a visionary philanthropist, one year ago today the Treehouse Foundation joined forces with Friends of Children and the Rudd Center for Adoption Research at UMass Amherst to host the first Re-Envisioning Foster Care in America Conference in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

Here’s why we are coming together to create a culture of possibility for our nation’s children and youth whose lives have been impacted by foster care:

Today in America more than 500,000 girls and boys are being raised by the state. They will spend their childhoods moving from foster home to foster home. Some will end up in residential settings. Some will be placed in Group Homes. Children who are removed from their families and placed in foster care are often traumatized, stigmatized and 75% are more likely to wind up homeless, unemployed, incarcerated and living in poverty as adults.

How do we, as a country, help children who have been placed in our public foster care system flourish ??!

The Treehouse Foundation is collaborating with stakeholders from all walks of life to break this cycle of despair and failure. We are working diligently with individuals, organizations, colleges, universities, businesses and philanthropists to create real solutions.

The Treehouse Foundation believes that children are children first – their placement in foster care does not define them. Providing every child with a strong family and a caring community that is dedicated to his or her health and well-being is the answer. Since 2002, Treehouse has collaborated with regional and national partners to:

• Build a multigenerational neighborhood where families adopting children from foster care live with engaged neighbors of all ages who invest in one another’s lives daily.

• Develop a compelling new Menu of Engagement Options so that Americans have a wide array of choices for how to become a resource to a child or youth in their backyard.

• Launch a Re-Envisioning Foster Care in America Initiative to ensure that every child is rooted in family and community.

Treehouse is dedicated to developing sustainable program models that can be replicated across the country with one goal in mind: to prevent 25,000 young Americans from “aging out” of foster care alone annually.

Please join us and share our passion for improving the lives of children and youth placed in foster care. There are many ways to get involved through financial support, volunteering and lending your expertise. We need your help to spread the word. To learn more about the Treehouse Foundation, to stay connected or to contribute, please visit us at:

www.treehousecommunities.org

“At our DCF office, I have never seen a child enter foster care carrying their belongings in anything other than a plastic trash or grocery bag. Not only are the children entering foster care losing touch with their families, school chums and neighborhood pals, they are also carrying their personal items in a way that most people view as “trash”. However, what is inside that bag means the world to the child. In that “trash bag” are the few things they were able to take from the only home they have ever known.

Our Office of DCF currently has nearly 400 children in foster care. On any given day we have had as few as one child enter foster care to as many as 15. Our children in foster care range in age from newborns to 22 year olds finishing up college and / or technical schools.

Over the past year The Suitcase Project has provided an amazing number of beautiful new suitcases, duffle bags and backpacks to our children entering foster care as well as those, who for a variety of reasons, must relocate to a different foster home.

The children, as they receive their beautiful new suitcases, are truly in awe. The same can be said for their social workers. I have seen children jump up and down with glee. I have seen tears of happiness. I have seen looks of disbelief that someone has given them something so wonderful to hold their possessions in.”

I remember that summer five years ago when I climbed up into the truck and turned on the ignition. “Remember not to go to any drive thru windows!” the man at the rental counter shouted. I nodded, both hands gripping the steering wheel of the 24 foot UHaul truck I had just rented. Holding my breath, I slowly navigated the UHaul past parked cars and made my way onto the busy four lane road. Once on the road I exhaled. My hands were placed at 10 and 2 for optimal steering control. I had been driving for almost 40 years. This was my first experience with a 24 foot UHaul truck.

I headed east to Beaver Summer Programs in Chestnut Hill, MA. to pick up the program supplies that Beaver Summer Program campers, their families and staff had generously donated to each CTB MA camper: brand new sleeping bags, pillows, pillow cases, duffle bags, flash lights, batteries, beach towels, journals, pens, gift cards and more. The BSP staff and I loaded everything onto the truck and I made my way to the Berkshires.

At this point, the truck rental and journey to BSP is a beloved ritual. This year I handed the supply truck baton off to Leslie Hopper, a wonderful CTB MA volunteer. The truck is now sitting fully loaded in her driveway, ready to head west.

We love our partnership with Beaver Summer Programs! It’s the best kind of collaboration. BSP Director, Nat Saltonstall and his staff are educating campers of all ages about some of the challenges that their peers experiencing foster care face. The result: the campers and their families take action. They become engaged in a community service project that directly supports sisters and brothers who have been separated when placed in our child welfare system. Most of the BSP campers have siblings. They can’t imagine not living with them. A summer program like Camp To Belong MA that brings sisters and brothers together makes a lot of sense.

This year we are celebrating our 7th season of Camp To Belong MA. 100 sisters and brothers who were separated when placed in foster care have been invited to spend the week at a beautiful overnight camp in the Berkshires to create joyous shared memories. Over fifty volunteer counselors, ranging in age from 21 – 65, will spend the week with the kids who come from every region of the state. Together they will experience riding horses and banana boats, flying through the air on a trapeze and scaling a 40 foot climbing wall. They will also spend time singing, painting, making pottery, swimming, dancing and making scrapbooks. Most of all, they will enjoy spending time together.

Sibling Connections is the non-profit organization that hosts Camp To Belong MA. Sibling Connections also offers year-round sibling connection programming through a monthly program called Sibling Sundays. Currently Sibling Sundays serves sisters and brothers ages 8 – 20 in western Massachusetts, Greater Lowell and southeastern Massachusetts. Please consider becoming a Sibling Connections partner and directly supporting kids in care like Beaver Summer Programs. You’ll be glad you did!

On the second Wednesday of every month Treehouse has a tea party. It’s a tradition that started in the summer of 2006 when the first families and elders moved onto Treehouse Circle. This week we’re celebrating our 60th Treehouse Tea.

I love Tea at Treehouse. As the hostess I enjoy shopping at my favorite stores to make sure we have a wide array of tasty sweets and savories for everyone to enjoy. The idea is to treat people to great food and a wonderful experience. To thank folks for choosing to be a part of Treehouse. Community members, board members, partners, friends, neighbors and Treehouse supporters from all over the country come to Treehouse Teas. Depending on the season, one is encouraged to brew a pot of their favorite tea or help themselves to one of the festive iced drinks in our punch bowls. Today’s tea will feature cold drinks unless it rains!

We have an eclectic collection of tea pots in the Treehouse kitchen. Over the past five years the options have grown. We now have several kinds of flowered tea pots, Santa tea pots and red snowman tea pots in our cupboards. Santa only comes out in December. The snowmen appear on tables in the throes of winter. Our tea cups come from Ikea because they are affordable and just the right size. The first set was a pretty deep pumpkin color. We chose spring green for our second set. They look great arranged in a circle on a black tray.

Email invitations are sent out to folks a few days before the actual event. Then the calls start coming in with requests and gentle reminders: that Alden Merrill chocolate cake, the apple bread from Ward’s Berry Farm, that special cheese with the cranberries in it, the cherry tomatoes from Atkins Farm or the Iggy’s bread to go with the spinach salad. We all have our seasonal favorites, especially the kids.

During the school year when the children come home from school on Tea Day, they stop by the kitchen to see what I’m preparing. They assure me they’ll head home to check in and be right back. By the time they return there’s a group of community members already seated at the tables in the Community Room engaged in conversation with their friends and neighbors. Tea has officially begun.

After everyone has a plate full of food and their drink of choice, I grab a plate and sit down wherever there’s an empty chair. It’s time to lean back and savor the moment. People of all ages are chatting in English and sign language. Laughter floats through the air.
Someone sits down at the piano and plays a few songs. Our beautiful young resident singer/songwriter picks up her guitar and serenades us. I look around and think, “It doesn’t get any better than this… People are breaking bread, sharing lives and supporting each other’s health and well-being.”

There is so much that I am grateful for at Treehouse. Sitting in my chair I give thanks for the past five years and all of the people who have made it possible. I also offer up a prayer of appreciation for all sixty Teas we have shared together. They have provided me with many opportunities to weave joy into the fabric of our daily lives, reflect on what we have all accomplished and focus on where we want to go.

We have a ritual at our house. Every season we go upstairs and pull out bins of clothing that my youngest daughter has outgrown. We select dresses, skirts, pajamas, pants and shirts that we think her two youngest sisters would like and place them in the Share Box. We’ve been passing clothes back and forth among my daughter’s four sisters for the past decade. It’s something we thoroughly enjoy.

Last week we pulled out the boxes, labeled according to sizes, and began to make two piles: one for a 5 year old and one for a ten year old. We shared fond memories as we pulled out each article of clothing. “I remember those pajamas!”, my daughter said. “I wore them with my red robe.” “I LOVE that outfit! You wore it with a little flowered hat. You looked so cute!”, I commented when she held up an embroidered skirt and flowered top.

There was a blue bin in the back of the closet that we hadn’t looked inside for a long time. My daughter took the top off and held up little articles of clothing, including her first pair of riding pants. She couldn’t believe that she had ever been small enough to fit into them.

Then she held up a beautiful little red velvet dress with long sleeves and a scalloped hem. The velvet was soft to the touch and had a flower pattern on it. “Do you remember that red velvet dress?” I asked quietly. She shook her head.

We sat down on the bed. I began the story of the red dress. When the girls were younger and had a difficult time parting, I recalled wearing my mother’s nightgown to bed for a few months after she died. It helped me feel close to her. I wondered if that approach might help my daughter with her loss. I asked her big sister’s adoptive mother if they would be willing to share a favorite article of clothing with my daughter so she could hold her sister close between our weekly visits.

The following week they presented her with a beautiful gift bag containing the red velvet dress. We explained it’s purpose. She took the dress out of the gift bag, held the soft fabric up to her cheek and put it right on. Then she hugged her sister and twirled around the room with a huge grin on her face.

For the next four months my daughter wore the red dress every day. She took it off at night when she went to bed so we could take it downstairs and toss it in the washer. In the morning she popped it back on and moved through the day with her sister literally by her side. Some children are given medication to deal with the losses they face when they are placed in foster care. The red dress was my daughter’s medication. It sustained her and supported her health and well-being. When she walked into their weekly sibling play dates wearing the dress, her big sister would look up and smile.

I remember reading her school progress report one day during the era of the red dress. The young teacher who wrote the report clearly did not fully understand the therapeutic value of this article of clothing. She wrote that my daughter wore the same dress to school every day as if it was a negative thing. I quietly took her aside, reminded her why my daughter was wearing the dress and requested that she re-write the school report. Wearing the red velvet dress was a strength to be valued.

Looking at the pretty little red dress today you would never know it has played such an important role in helping my daughter regain her sense of well-being. You would also never know that it had seen such active duty. It’s in such good condition that we could pass it on to my daughter’s youngest sister. But we decided to wrap it up, place it in a colorful gift bag and pass it back to her big sister with a Thank You note. We’ll do it tomorrow when the girls meet up at the barn where they are spending their summer days. It’s their favorite place. We make sure to meet up frequently. Two loving families, raising two sisters. Together.

People often ask what a typical day at Camp To Belong MA looks like.
Every day is different. Each one has it’s own unique schedule so that campers
can move through the day sampling the wide array of of activities: swimming, boating, horse back riding, trying out the circus trapeze, scaling the rock climbing wall, making sibling pillows, scrap booking, creating pottery and other fun day time offerings.

I love to wake up early, get dressed and head over to the Storage Cabin while folks are still sleeping. My job is to set up activities. The Storage Cabin is full of camp supplies and the wonderful donations that Beaver Summer Programs has collected for us. The sun looks so beautiful coming up over the lake. Sisters sleep on one side of camp, brothers on another. I make my way across camp as campers are waking up. I can hear them whispering, “Good Morning!”, getting dressed for the day, heading to the bathroom, toothbrush in hand.

When everyone is dressed, counselors walk with their kids over to the Meeting Area where our youth leader is waiting to help us all embrace the day. My favorite morning tradition involves music. The sounds of Cupid Shuffle float through the air. People of all ages begin to shuffle their way toward the Dining Hall. By the time I arrive everyone is dancing with big smiles on their faces.

Sisters and brothers come together in Family Groups at breakfast. They join up with their Family Group counselors and move through the day as a small group, giving siblings who live in separate homes the opportunity to spend the entire day together creating joyous shared memories.

After breakfast, Family Groups head out to go horseback riding, swim in the lake, check out the water trampoline, test the banana boats, climb the 40 foot climbing wall and play games. We all gather again for lunch in the Dining Hall before launching into afternoon activities. Every day kids tell me how much it means to them to sit at a table and share meals with their sisters and brothers. They say they feel just like their peers who have not been removed from their homes and placed in foster care.

Each night after dinner we put on a different event. Over the years we’ve hosted camp fires, carnivals, camp-wide birthday parties, talent shows, trips to the local ice cream stand, basketball games, comedy shows, waterskiing demonstrations and more. One year the rapper DMC came and sang for us. He spoke to the campers about his life and what it was like for him to learn he had been adopted from foster care.

Some nights we watch our version of home movies – my husband, Arthur Pollock, takes beautiful photos of siblings, counselors and camp activities. He spends time at night putting together a collage of the day, adds some fun music and shares his creations with us. That is another one of my favorite CTB MA traditions. Everyone gathered together, feeling connected, honoring one another in the best possible ways. I stand at the back of the room and drink in the goodness that surrounds us. It is a moment we all savor and delight in.

Closing Camp Fire takes place on our last night of Camp To Belong MA. It is a time when campers, counselors and support staff express appreciation for the time we have spent together. It is a very moving experience to sit around a camp fire honoring the lives of children who have been removed from their families and placed in the public foster care system. Every heart is touched. Every soul awakened. Our lives are changed for the better!

The first time I saw the new VW Bug I laughed out loud. I had to have one. It looked just like a shiny new toy car moving down the road. It was love at first sight. What a great car for a toy store owner to drive around town!

As soon as I got home I called my favorite graphic designer, Leah Bird. I had been working with her at a children’s game company. Her unique style inspires me. She arranges colorful fonts, words, and images in whimsical ways that make people smile. Plus, she’s wonderful to work with – smart, funny and professional. I knew she was the person we needed to design our VW Bug.

She was delighted to be on the project. I wanted a yellow Bug. Actually, I would have taken a whole fleet, one in each color, but the size of our budget dictated purchasing one. Leah got the exterior dimensions of the car and started designing the decals. My business partner and I began visiting VW dealers.

Imagine our surprise when we couldn’t find a yellow Bug anywhere in Massachusetts. There were none in Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont or Connecticut either. We put my husband, an experienced journalist, on the job. He found the last remaining yellow Bug in northern Maine. We bought it!

My daughter Jenna was finishing up the summer season at Camp Runoia in the Belgrade Lakes. We scooped her up, drove north, picked up the Bug and began our trip south to Massachusetts. I’ll never forget how happy we were. It was the perfect mother-daughter road trip. There we were heading down the highway singing along with the radio and waving at people who honked their horns at us. My husband, who was following us, said that the little yellow car radiated happiness all the way from Maine to Massachusetts.

Once home we took the car to the shop where it was wrapped in Leah’s playful design. Three colorful words, PLAY, LAUGH and GIGGLE, were draped across the hood, trunk and roof of the car. No Kidding! A Toy Store decorated both doors. Our two store locations were visible on the back bumper. We whooped and hollered when we saw it for the first time!

Taking it out for a spin was always a joyous occasion. People of all ages smiled. Kids would point and shout.
We heard a lot of people exclaim, “Look!” Everyone waved. This whimsical little car was the talk of the town. It was fun to drive in town parades. I loved driving kids to school in it. Whenever I was behind the wheel we took the long way. Then I drove around town before opening the store.

When we sold the stores to launch Treehouse, the decals had to come off the car. I remember standing behind our Brookline store with my son just before the removal happened. “Mom, this is one of the best things you have ever done,” he said. I smiled and wondered how I could take this magic and weave it into my work on behalf of children experiencing foster care.

Twelve years later I figured out a way: Create a Leah Bird designed vehicle wrapped up words and images that inspire people to Re-Envisioning Foster Care! I told my family on Mother’s Day, as we were driving to one of our favorite farms where our youngest daughter is learning how to drive a horse carriage. They loved the idea! We began a lively brainstorming session. What kind of vehicle? Which ones were the right size and offered optimal visibility? Which cars were the most fuel efficient? Which ones were the most fun? Were there any Richard Scary type vans or trucks that would do the job? We’re still pondering the possibilities.

We will need a generous philanthropist or someone affiliated with a car dealership to donate the vehicle or provide us with a free lease. I’ve heard that there are generous folks who support non-profits with free vehicle leases…

In the meantime, I’ve reached out to Leah. She’s busy dreaming. Every time I hop in my car and get on the road I imagine driving our vibrant Re-Envisioning Foster Care! vehicle with a big grin on my face. I can’t wait to inspire people to support children experiencing foster care in this exciting new way. Stay tuned! I’ll write a blog post when we’re ready to hit the road.

May is National Foster Care Month and our family is kicking it off in style. We will spend the day with a great group of kids and volunteer counselors from Sibling Connections. Our destination: A cool rock climbing gym where we can all create some joyous shared memories. We are Re-Envisioning Foster Care. Please join us!

I began Re-Envisioning Foster Care in 1999. The journey started on the day my 12 year old daughter and I stood in our driveway waiting for a social worker’s car to appear. That morning I had received a call asking if we would open our home to two little sisters. Our family said, “YES!” and I immediately left work, picked my daughter up from school and drove to the store to buy infant and toddler high chairs, car seats, cribs, diapers, and basic clothing.

My husband and I had just finished our foster parent training and were now certified to welcome children into our home. We had decided to sign up to become a foster family after reading a newspaper story about a five month old baby who had been kidnapped from his crib while taking a nap in his foster home.

My daughter grabbed my hand as the car approached, excited to meet the two little sisters. The social workers introduced us to the girls. A sweet five month old baby was placed in my outstretched arms. My daughter was introduced to a 17 month old toddler with gorgeous brown eyes. She helped her out of the car seat and took her hand.

These two beautiful little sisters led me into the world of child welfare and taught me the value of investing in the lives of all 500,000 children who experience foster care in this country. They showed me what our nation’s child welfare system looks like. They inspired me to Re-envision Foster Care in America.

The girls were exceptional teachers. As a result of the lessons learned while parenting them, I sold my businesses and became a full time child advocate. It became obvious to me that most Americans think there are only two ways to support children in foster care: Adopt them or become a foster parent. That is too much to ask of most people. The result: Hundreds of thousands of potential resources turn and walk away from the children in their communities who need them the most.

What is needed? A corps of community members in every region of the country who invest in the well-being of children in their backyards; folks who actively engage in creating a caring safety net for the infants, toddlers, school aged youngsters and teens whose lives have been impacted by foster care.

Every year 25,000 young Americans “age out” of our foster care system at risk for homelessness, incarceration, unemployment, teen parenting and lives of poverty. We can change this reality by coming together in regions all across the country to build roadmaps that take us in a new direction – one that encourages widespread investment and improves life outcomes.

For the past twelve years I have begun to craft that roadmap by beginning to create a compelling menu of new engagement options so that people of all ages can easily support children in their communities. With the generous help of many caring individuals I have created three non-profit organizations:

• The Treehouse Foundation, a multi-generational community where families who are adopting children from the public foster care system live in a neighborhood were folks of all ages are investing in one another’s lives.

• Sibling Connections, a year-round sibling connection initiative that offers summer camp and monthly programming designed to keep sisters and brothers who have been separated when placed in foster care connected all year long.

• Birdsong Farm, a year-round learning community designed to enhance the educational outcomes for students whose lives have been impacted by foster care.

Each is dedicated to ensuring that every child is rooted in family and community. To that end, we have launched a national Re-Envisioning Foster Care in America Initiative in Massachusetts. Once we get our regional road map and implementation plan all figured out we’ll be ready to share the learning with folks everywhere!

This May as we celebrate National Foster Care Month, may we come together to wish all our children and youth in foster care health and well-being. May we wish them loving family and community connections. While we’re at it, let’s also redouble our efforts to make sure all our children are walking together on a level playing field. Let’s give children experiencing foster care thousands of strong shoulders to stand on. Let’s rise above the world they’ve inherited and create a better one. Let’s give them the life they deserve!

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks …

Another spring.
Another opening day at Fenway Park!
Hearts are hopeful for a winning season.

If positive thinking counts for anything, the 39,000 faithful fans of Red Sox Nation can will the Sox to a championship season (or at least finally winning their first game of the season).

Just think:
39 thousand fans in 39 thousand seats.
Imagine that those 39 thousand seats in Fenway Park are filled with children. Now imagine 12 Fenway Parks filled with kids sitting in those seats.

39 thousand x 12. That’s the number of youngsters currently experiencing foster care in America. Actually, we’d need 12 ½ Fenways to fit them all in but you get the idea.

Now, imagine if everyone who attends today’s Opening Game contributed the cost of a Fenway frank to supporting the health and well-being of the children in those seats. All 39 thousand fans helping make sure that our most vulnerable children are cared for in the best possible ways. I’m not asking you to close your eyes and imagine raising Josh Beckett’s $17 million dollar paycheck. I’m talking about $2.50. Going to kids who need everyday heroes.

Those Fenway frank dollars would certainly go a long way toward creating exciting new resources for our most vulnerable children. They would also strengthen the Re-Envisioning of Foster Care Initiative that is rooted right here in Massachusetts.

Let’s hope for a Red Sox victory at Fenway today!
It’s a beautiful spring day out there. While we’re rooting for our home team, let’s also promise every child in the Commonwealth a healthy and fulfilling life.

Every child rooted in family and community.
That’s a victory worth cheering about.
A definite home run.

This morning on our way to the barn there was an accident. Two cars smashed by the side of the road. By the time we reached the accident scene the ambulance had already left for the hospital. One of the cars was being loaded on a flatbed truck. A group of police officers was standing in a circle next to the other car talking. My daughter and I softly murmur, “I wish you well.”

While we are waiting in traffic a childhood memory floats into my consciousness. I am six or seven years old, sitting in the back seat of our Buick with my sister and aunt. My mom and dad are up front. Dad is driving. We are headed for Disneyland. This is our second trip since the Grand Opening. We drove down for that event when I was five. I remember walking across the huge parking lot, holding my mom’s hand. I can still recall the monorail, the sun on my new shoes and the dress I wore for the occasion.

This time my mother’s sister decided to join us for the trip. Our plan is to drive from the Bay Area to Fresno and then stop for the night. My sister and I are thrilled. This means we get to stop at our favorite motel. It has a pool and we can swim until it gets dark. In the morning we can order waffles with strawberries and whipped cream for breakfast. That is a real treat for us. Something we are never allowed to indulge in at home..

It’s late afternoon. We are somewhere near Fresno. The sun is starting to sink in the sky. All of a sudden my dad pulls the car over on the side of the road. He opens the door, jumps out, and runs across an open field. My mom says, “Look!” and points to the train tracks. Flames are shooting up out of one of the train cars.

My dad was the Fire Science Coordinator for northern California. As a kid when I would ask him what that meant, he would say, “That means I train fire fighters to be fire fighters.” He loved his job. He traveled throughout the northern counties teaching classes. Before my sister and I were born, my mom would travel with him. When I became a teacher he shared his favorite teaching strategies with me. He was a real proponent of experiential learning. So am I.

As I watch my dad sprint toward the burning train I feel so proud. He is focused on helping put out a fire and saving lives. He is doing the right thing. I might be six or seven but I know that he is acting like a hero.

We sit in the car watching the action for a couple of hours. I can see fire trucks, ambulances and lots
of people moving about. When it’s all over I see my dad walking back across the field. He is covered from head to foot with black soot. He’s moving in a way that lets me know he is in a thoughtful space. It’s the same way he walked up to our front door on the day he learned that his father had died. He slowly opens the car door and sits down.

His shirt is ripped and dirty. His head is covered with black marks. He answers our questions, lets us know that everything is OK, and points out the fire chief. The fire trucks pull away. He turns his attention to the road with a look of satisfaction on his face. I reach for my aunt’s hand, look out the window, and drink it all in. The world seems like a better place. Why? Because my dad has just done the right thing. He pulled our car over, ran across a field toward a burning train, and pitched in. I want to be just like him when I grow up.

I have been raising money to support children experiencing foster care since 2002. Over the past 9 years, my goal has been to develop, launch and sustain an array of compelling new programs that invite people of all ages to invest in the lives of youth in our child welfare system. Sometimes I accomplish my fundraising goals by writing grants. Other times I achieve them with the help of generous philanthropists. Fundraising events also provide critical funding. As non-profit professionals will tell you, these three approaches are key to every vibrant and sustainable non-profit organization.

A Step Up, founded in 2006 by Amy Briney, Pam Forman, Stacey Keenan, Gina Saltonstall and Carolyn Shaughnessy, offers a unique fundraising venue. A Step Up’s mission is to educate community members about the innovative contributions made by local charities and raise money for non-profits that serve children in need. To achieve their mission, A Step Up founders invite women they know to attend fun, informal gatherings. They host events at their homes and invite a representative from the organizations they support to speak about their work. They ask each guest for a $35.00 donation. All of the money collected is given to the non-profit presenting that evening.

I have been fortunate to speak at two A Step Up events – once to raise money for Sibling Connections and once to inspire people to invest in the Treehouse Foundation. In an article titled Giving Circles Boost Charitable Giving, a Boston Globe reporter wrote about one of those events: “One recent night in Needham, several dozen women stood inside Carolyn Shaughnessy’s living and dining rooms, listening intently to a woman talk about some of the state’s most vulnerable children.”

That woman was me. I had just started the Suitcase Project – a Treehouse initiative designed to ensure that every child who is placed in foster care carries their belongings in a brand new suitcase rather than a garbage bag, which unfortunately is the only bag available for the majority of our children who experience foster care.

Another person listening intently that night was Carolyn’s 10 year old daughter. Inspired by what she heard, she made a plan: to find out what else her peers experiencing foster care would need to go inside the donated suitcases. After my presentation Emily came right up and spoke to me. I remembered her from the first time I spoke at a Step Up event in her home. On that occasion, I looked around the room and noticed that she was sitting on the stairs in her pajamas. She was 8 years old and it was clear to me that she was paying close attention to what I was saying.

This year she wanted to know more about the Suitcase Project and how she could help. As we talked, I was struck by how focused she was. I was delighted to receive an email from her after we spoke letting me know that she was ready to begin supporting the initiative. She requested a copy of the list that the Department of Children and Families had provided, detailing items that youngsters placed in foster care typically need when they visit with their social workers at the office. With her mother’s permission I sent it along. The next thing I knew there was an email was in my mail box saying she had two large boxes of items ready for me to pick up.

This is how she did it: She sent the Suitcase Project flyer to her neighbors, friends and family. She placed two large plastic bins with lids on her front porch. People bought things on the list and dropped them off at their convenience. When the bins were full she contacted me.

Today my family went over to Emily’s house to pick up the boxes. She opened the door and welcomed us with a big grin on her face. I felt such a rush of appreciation for this generous young girl. We looked at all of the items she had collected, talked about her strategies for getting people involved and filled up the suitcases with goodies. My husband took photos. As we left, I hugged her and told her this was just the beginning. That someday when she received awards for all of the wonderful work she will do in her lifetime I will be there saying, “I knew Emily when she was 10 years old and just starting out on her path!”

Driving down the road I turned to my 12 year old and said, “Imagine what would be possible if we had 100 Emilys on our team!” She said, “Imagine if we had 1,000. The problem would be solved.”

We may not get 1,000 Emilys right away but one thing is for sure. Thanks to the leadership and compassion of one young 10 year old girl, there are children in foster care today who will not be needing trash bags or new toothbrushes, health care products, hair brushes, photo albums, art supplies, clothing and stuffed animals.

Thank you Emily!

Fear of failure can be a deterring factor in our country’s willingness to take a chance and truly change the way we approach and practice child welfare. For the past decade I am proud to say that I have had the honor of working with a group of outstanding citizens who have put aside their fear and stepped up to the plate to become social change agents.

People who think that children who experience foster care
are worthy of our widespread investment.
People who think that it is wise to act now.
People who think that working together means improved life trajectories.
People who think that it is time to give Americans a vision of child welfare
that is broader than the issues of child abuse and neglect.

Since 2001 I have had the pleasure of working with people of all ages who think child welfare should be optimistic: visionaries and philanthropists, social workers and foster/adoptive parents, educators and legislators, the finest minds in housing, young people experiencing foster care, child advocates and concerned citizens of all ages who are eager to support the health and well-being of our children experiencing foster care everywhere in America.

Standing shoulder to shoulder, we are working with front line social work leaders to help transform the child welfare system so that it becomes a vibrant and innovative place where reasonable and responsible people of all ages come together and create new realities for all of our children.

Please join us! We are taking Re-Envisioning Foster Care to other states in 2011.
Our plan: To pick up where we left off after our first Massachusetts REFC Conference in November, continue to work together on behalf of our children in the Commonwealth, and make our way west this spring to share the learning. We’re going to help inspire innovation and raise the level of the public debate. Let that be our legacy!

Join us!
Experience community and connection.
Where?
Right next to the Treehouse Community!
Check out the model home that is currently being built.

Our blue ribbon housing partner, Beacon Communities, is building brand new energy efficient homes! We launched the Treehouse Community with Beacon Communities in June 2006: 60 brand new rental homes built to house families who are adopting children from foster care and older adults who are interested in living in a beautiful neighborhood with people of all ages.

The Homes at Easthampton Meadow offer home buyers the opportunity to live in beautiful, new, energy efficient homes; well designed homes that offer a perfect solution for home owners who are interested in sustainable living and an engaged lifestyle.

Each two, three and four bedroom home will be constructed to maximize natural light and all homes will incorporate state of the art energy efficient construction techniques and equipment.

Although actual energy usage will vary depending on the behavior of those living in each home, these ultra-low energy efficient homes are designed to use 60% less energy than comparably sized new construction homes. If an owner decides to incorporate solar electric panels on the roof, the homes are designed to perform at a “net-zero” energy usage. This means that on an annual basis, the energy created will be close to or equal to the energy needs.

Phase One of this new neighborhood is underway. Choose from:

• 9 thoughtfully planned building sites
• 7 home designs
• Two, three and four bedroom designs ranging from 1,500 – 2,365 sq. ft.
• Prices starting at $309,900 for these ultra-low energy homes

We are excited about starting Phase Two at Treehouse. The Treehouse Foundation is dedicated to providing children in the public foster care system with life-long families and community connections through innovative programs and practices. The Treehouse Community is a cutting edge national model, founded by Judy Cockerton, a 2010 Congressional Angel in Adoption Award winner. Treehouse inspired neighborhoods are being planned in California, Washington and Maine. Another is slated to open in Oregon
some time in spring 2011.

Since 2006, Treehouse community members, partners and staff have worked together to create a vibrant neighborhood where children live with their permanent, loving families. Families receive ongoing support and elders are valued for sharing their wisdom, talents and expertise. One generation helping another. The way life ought to be.

For more information about this exciting home ownership opportunity, please contact Judy Cockerton at (413) 527-7966 or visit our website: www.treehousecommunities.org

Thank you!

Over the past decade I have met with hundreds of people to talk about the Treehouse Foundation. Recently I walked into the office of a regional leader to discuss the possibility of creating a collaboration to support students whose lives have been impacted by foster care.

As he shook my hand, he smiled and said, “Congratulations on your recent Congressional award. That is quite an honor to be named a 2010 Angel in Adoption. Solid recognition by Senator Kerry for a job well done.” After that warm welcome, we sat together and began to talk.

He started off with this statement. “There are thousands of non-profits. Tell me what makes you unique. If your organization disappeared tomorrow, why would people mourn its loss? What is the Treehouse Foundation doing that no one else does ?”

It was one of the best conversations I have ever had regarding our purpose and vision. He asked me to take a few moments to write down five things that distinguish the Treehouse Foundation from other non-profits working on behalf of children who experience foster care; five ideas and approaches that make it distinct.

It was challenging to limit our unique perspective to five bullet points but after some quiet reflection this is what I wrote:

1. Most Americans believe that there are only two ways they can support a child who is experiencing foster care: to become a foster parent or adopt a child from foster care. This is too much to ask of most people. The result is that hundreds of thousands of potential resources turn and walk away from the very children who need them the most.

The Treehouse Foundation is creating a compelling new menu of engagement options so that citizens of all ages can become resources to children in their communities. We are partnering with a broad cross section of people regionally and nationally to help ensure that every child is rooted in family and community.

2. Every year in this country nearly 25,000 young people “age out” of the public foster care system without any enduring family or community connections. The result: They are at risk for homelessness, unemployment, incarceration, teen parenting, and lives of poverty.

To change this reality, the Treehouse Foundation is working to move children out of foster care and into life long families so they will not be at risk for “aging out”. Treehouse and its partners built an intergenerational Treehouse Community where families who are adopting children from foster care live with caring neighbors of all ages. Child welfare leaders in California, Oregon, Maine and Washington state are in the process of developing Treehouse inspired communities to support their children who are in the child welfare system.

3. Collaboration lies at the heart of the Treehouse Foundation approach. The power of partnership is evident in everything that we do. It enables us to build a broad coalition of resources and have a much greater impact, regionally and nationally. We have fiscal partners, Treehouse community partners, innovation partners and regional partnerships with colleges, universities, non-profits, philanthropists, businesses, educators, equestrians, foundations and others. Each and every collaboration strengthens our capacity to be effective change agents.

4. The Treehouse Foundation’s leadership has helped launch a national Re-Envisioning Foster Care Initiative designed to bring stakeholders together to leverage people, idea and funding resources. Creating a regional template for the Re-Envisioning Foster Care process has long been on the Treehouse Foundation agenda.
Before we could focus on it regionally, we had to build an intergenerational community based model and bring it to life.

Once the Treehouse neighborhood was on its way, we began to develop a Treehouse Hub of Innovation to meet the needs of children and families who live at Treehouse and those who live in other towns and cities in western Massachusetts. The idea is to partner with an array of individuals and organizations. Together we would combine our resources and expertise and invest in innovation. Then we would invite people of all ages to become active participants in the Re-Envisioning Foster Care process.

5. The Treehouse Foundation believes in citizen led change. People doing great things. It is our greatest asset. Together we are building a culture of possibility, shaping new realities, and transforming foster care. We are asking the question, “Under what conditions do our youngsters who have experienced foster care flourish ??!” What we are learning is that as people are contributing their time, treasure and talent to support children in their backyards, everyone’s well-being is enhanced.

After reading my five points this wise man nodded and looked up, eyes twinkling. Then he gave me some concrete feedback.

“The Treehouse Foundation is definitely contributing in original ways. You are providing innovative leadership in many arenas. You are transforming foster care and your perspective is unique. I applaud you for your keen understanding of the importance of collaboration. You are worthy of widespread support. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.”

Please let us know what you can do to make us stronger and more effective.
We sincerely appreciate your support and generosity.

They say when someone blesses your life both people involved remember and acknowledge their true nature and worth, and strengthen what is whole in one another.

I know that lives can be blessed and strengthened in many ways:
through friendship, by kindness, by generosity, through our philanthropy, our example, our encouragement, and our belief in someone. In her book, My Grandfather’s Blessings, Rachel Naomi Remen
writes beautifully about the subject, saying that “when we offer our blessings generously, the light in the world in strengthened, around us and in us.”

My friend, Joan Hastings, blessed my life. When we met in 2004, I had no idea that she was going to become such an important person in my life. It wasn’t clear to me then that I was going to develop a deep appreciation and love for this woman with the twinkle in her eye.
But it didn’t take long!

Joan was a delightful friend. She was smart, strategic, and compassionate. She had a deep and abiding love for her family and friends. She was collaborative. She brought people together in the best possible ways. One of my favorite Joan Memories is the day she introduced me to the folks at Enchanted Circle Theatre and Snow Farm. I’ll never forget the smile on her face. It lasted the entire meeting… As we sat together creating exciting new learning opportunities for children whose lives had been impacted by foster care, the positive energy in the room was palpable. Joan loved inspiring innovation. She was such a visionary!

Joan filled my life with possibility and opportunity. She acted as a sounding board for my ideas and aspirations. She offered me her wisdom and guidance. She gave me courage. As a result of knowing Joan, I now am able to stand in front of a room and invite people from all walks of life to join me in Re-Envisioning Foster Care in America.

As I spend time honoring Joan’s memory today, I find myself flipping the pages of My Grandfather’s Blessings to find one of my favorite passages.
It speaks so eloquently about the power of being blessed.

“On Friday afternoons when I would arrive at my grandfather’s house after school, the tea would already be set on the kitchen table. My grandfather had his own way of serving tea. There were no teacups or saucers or bowls of granulated sugar or honey. Instead, he would pour the tea directly from the silver samovar into a drinking glass. There had to be a teaspoon in the glass first, otherwise the glass, being thin might break.

My grandfather died when I was seven years old. I had never lived in a world without him before, and it was hard for me. Hr looked at me as no one else had and called me by a special name, “Neshume-le,” which means “little soul.” There was no one else left to call me this anymore. At first I was afraid that without him to see me and tell God who I was, I might disappear. But slowly over time, I came to understand that in some mysterious way, I had learned to see myself through his eyes. And that once blessed, we are blessed forever.”

Thank you Joan. I am deeply grateful to you for all of the gifts you have given me. I loved having you in my life. Your generosity, wisdom, humor and vision will always be remembered.

Change is in the air thanks to the outstanding leadership of a wise social entrepreneur who understands the importance of investing in innovative programs and partnerships that support children experiencing foster care! As a result of her vision and generosity, Friends of Children, The Rudd Adoption Research Program at UMass Amherst and the Treehouse Foundation will come together next Monday to co-host a Re-Envisioning Foster Care Conference in western Massachusetts.

Overview:

This dynamic Re-Envisioning Foster Care Initiative is designed to foster success by establishing a new model of engagement – collaborative, multi-sector gatherings that invite individuals and organizations to engage in a vital process of dialogue, reflection and action that enhances the well-being of our children in the public foster care system.

At the November 15th gathering, the Re-Envisioning Foster Care Initiative aims to create a culture of possibility and inspire additional investments in innovation that lead to positive outcomes for children
in the areas of permanency, aging out, and education.

RFC Initiative Launch:

The initiative will be launched in western Massachusetts on November 15, 2010. A multi-disciplinary group of stakeholders, including families, advocates, social workers, educators, court personnel, students, visionaries, social entrepreneurs, legislators, researchers and interested community members are invited to join the initial conversation.

The Re-Envisioning Foster Care Initiative launch and direction is informed by input and data gathered through interviews conducted with individuals invested in foster care as well as by local data collection. Building on the information gathered at the November 15th gathering, the RFC Initiative will convene again in early 2011 to continue building vibrant partnerships that serve our youth throughout the region.

When/Where:

The first Re-Envisioning Foster Care Conference will be held at the Delaney House in Holyoke, MA. The conference will begin at 8:30 AM and end at 4:30 PM. Our keynote speaker for the day is Daniel Heimpel of Fostering Media Connections. Daniel, an award winning journalist, is touring the country highlighting promising programs and practices that support our children in foster care.

FMC’s goal is to change the foster care narrative in the country by sharing stories of hope, connection and promise with the mainstream media. Daniel has been crisscrossing the Commonwealth for the past
three weeks, visiting with innovators who are thinking outside of the foster care box. He plans to take the Re-Envisioning Foster Care Conference model to California in spring 2011.

In addition to Daniel Heimpel, speakers and facilitators from
Casey Family Services, the Department of Children & Families,
non-profit organizations, and colleges and universities will help lead
break-out sessions and panel discussions before joining together
to formulate a Call To Action.

You are cordially invited to join us as we come together to launch this important regional initiative.

Please call 413. 586. 0011 today to register!

Just back from the 2010 Congressional Angel in Adoption Awards.

Thank you Senator John Kerry for honoring the Treehouse Foundation, Sibling Connections, Birdsong Farm and the past decade spent helping to inspire a re-envisioning of foster care. I hope this award will help each of these organizations raise the funds needed to garner additional investments in innovation so that all children in America can be rooted in family & community in the best ways possible.

I flew to California after receiving the 2010 Congressional Angel in Adoption Award to help fundraise for Daniel Heimpel, founder of Fostering Media Connections. Daniel is touring the country, highlighting what is working for young Americans experiencing foster care. His goal: To change the foster care narrative.

Daniel, an award winning journalist, recently spent time in the state of Washington, California, Maryland and DC. This week-end he will arrive in Massachusetts and spend the next few weeks crisscrossing the Commonwealth talking to visionary and talented Bay State social entrepreneurs, social workers, youngsters experiencing foster care, former youth in care, child advocates, DCF staff, legislators, community leaders, educators and volunteers who are charting the direction we will take to ensure that every child in Massachusetts actually is rooted in family and community.

While here, Daniel will also be the keynote speaker at a
Re-Envisioning Foster Care conference that Treehouse is co-hosting
in western MA. along with Friends of Children and the UMass Amherst Rudd Adoption Research Program. In addition to Daniel, Lauren Frey of Casey Family Services will help create a culture of possibility at the conference.

Recently I came across the Winter 2003 issue of Profile on Permanency, a newsletter put out by Massachusetts Families for Kids. In 2003 Lauren was the Executive Director of the organization. I have saved this newsletter for 7 years. I read it often. It has a very important article in it that I have never seen printed anywhere else. It is titled A Pledge To Our Children in Foster Care.

I remember the first time I heard this pledge read aloud. Lauren stood in front of a gathering of people and asked us all to read it with her. When I close my eyes I can see her standing there – brave, strong, compassionate and true.

A Pledge To Our Children in Foster Care

I pledge to value the intrinsic worth of every child and teenager in foster care and believe in the essential need for each one of them to be cherished.

I pledge to keep every child and teenager in foster care safe and healthy.

I pledge to take responsibility for the right of every child and teenager in foster care to the safe haven of a loving and permanent family.

I pledge to unite every child and teenager in foster care with his or her family or origin as safely and quickly as possible.

I pledge to achieve a safe, stable and loving adoptive or guardian family as quickly as possible for every child and teenager in foster care that cannot return to his or her family of origin.

I pledge to keep children and teenagers in foster care meaningfully, purposefully, and permanently connected to the safe haven of kin and extended family members.

I pledge to keep children and teenagers in foster care meaningfully, purposefully and permanently connected to the safe haven of their community, culture, ethnicity and language.

I pledge to always tell the truth, the whole truth, to children and teenagers in foster care and provide whatever supports might be necessary in helping them hear, understand, and live with the reality of that truth.

I pledge to listen to the voices of children and teenagers in foster care, and hear what they say they need as well as what they cannot or do not say.

I pledge to listen to the hearts of children and teenagers in foster care, and feel what they feel even when it is excruciatingly painful or makes us feel extraordinarily uncomfortable.

I pledge to listen to the life stories of children and teenagers in foster care, and learn the hard lessons so that none of the mistakes of the past will be repeated in the present.

I pledge to provide every child and teenager in foster care with the same rights, benefits and opportunities that I would want for my own child, grandchild, niece or nephew.

I pledge to never give up on any child or teenager in foster care no matter how old they get, how challenging their special needs are or how complex their circumstances become.

I pledge to treasure and treat each and every child and teenager in foster care as if they were my own.

Thank you Lauren for being the amazing role model that you are.
You are such a guiding light. I can’t wait to introduce you to Daniel.

The Treehouse Community approach provides youngsters who have experienced foster care with the opportunity to grow and learn in the context of healing relationships with caring people of all ages. Children who live at Treehouse with their families are able to develop healthy family and community connections because they have access to adults who invest in their lives and model positive relationships for them every day of the week.

Thank you Mary. I am so glad you chose to move to Treehouse Circle and am honored to have you in my life.

Living at Treehouse

When it was time for me to retire and I was looking for a new challenge, I remembered hearing Judy Cockerton speak at a church service about a vision she had for creating an intergenerational community. I had been moved by the concept of older folks interacting with foster/adoptive families and was excited to learn that Treehouse had indeed become a reality. Perhaps this was a place I could live and continue to use skills acquired after years of being a parent to three children, raising a troubled grandchild
and working as a teacher, counselor and administrator of several programs for children and adults.

When I drove into Treehouse for the first time to check things out, I was
stunned by the beauty of the open meadow backed up by Mt. Tom and the attractive, neat circle of houses. After being warmly welcomed by Kerry, I immediately felt this was the place for me and I submitted my application to move here.

Living here for nearly three years now has been a rewarding experience. I love my cottage and the peaceful and safe environment. I immediately volunteered to help out with one of the little girls who was having issues adjusting to her newly adopted younger sister. I would pick her up after school and we would go for ice cream or to get her nails painted, or for a walk in the park and then back to my house for our ritual supper of
macaroni and cheese with mandarin oranges.

Since then it has been my pleasure to get to know many of the children and I have helped out by providing transportation to appointments, caring for them when parents need a break, helping with homework or just hanging out. They very quickly worm their way into one’s heart and it is rewarding to know this attention is helping children feel they are valuable and loved. It has been a pleasure helping with some of the special projects like the arts program or my favorite… rowing on the river.

Rowing spurs me to mention the close relationships that develop with our peers in the community. Some of us have been sculling on the river for three summers now. What fun! We come together to share meals, watch movies,
Hike, exercise, converse, meditate, laugh and develop new programs. The Community Council meets monthly and out of that gathering new projects have developed.

One project I especially enjoy has been the development of the Peace Team committee. Our first project was to sponsor a Compassionate Listening Training. This training teaches how to be present to each other, to truly listen
until a deep understanding occurs and we come to the realization that we humans all have similar needs.

Yael Petretti came all the way from Israel to lead the training and was so impressed with Treehouse that she is moving here! The Peace Team uses this pool of trained residents, making them available for listening and providing resources to anyone in the community who may need assistance with conflict resolution. The Peace Team also sponsored the planting of a Peace Pole and is planning other activities designed to connect Treehouse residents in promoting a culture of peace in the community.

At times our older neighbors need help with transportation or attention during an illness. Living together allows us to feel there are others who care for us and will be close at hand when we have needs. We cook for each other, pet sit and walk dogs.

We have a wonderful staff here. Each one of them is compassionate, helpful and available. One new woman expressed to me the other day that she had never before lived anywhere where the building staff knew the names of her four girls and really cared for her family.

Much more could be said, but I will just conclude by saying I appreciate the opportunity to live in such a unique, cutting-edge community. I believe Treehouse is a model worth duplicating in other areas of the country and I am grateful to all who collaborate to keep this model happening. It certainly enriches my life to live here.

In gratitude,
Mary Steele

They came from 11 different states, from Connecticut to California. They gathered in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, volunteering to spend the week with sisters and brothers who have been separated when placed in foster care. Who are these amazing people? They are the outstanding group of volunteer counselors who just celebrated our 6th season of Camp To Belong MA!

Every year since 2005, when I first launched CTB MA, I have been wowed by the caliber of people who step up to the plate to make this program possible: accountants, teachers, social workers, photographers, outdoor educators, foster/adoptive parents, nurses, equestrians, business owners, entrepreneurs, bankers, musicians, engineers, students, speech therapists and many others.

For the campers they are heroes, teachers and role models. They spend the day with the kids as they go swimming, boating, rock wall climbing and horse back riding. The lessons they offer are filled with kindness, compassion, grace and courage. You see them in action all day long – as the campers sew sibling pillows for one another, as they climb aboard the banana boats, as they prepare for the Talent Show. These stellar folks, who range in age from 21 to 65, also provide encouragement, strength and goodness in the evening as the campers head to their bunks for the night. It’s a 24/7 job.

All week long the counselors give the kids the message that they are worthy and that their lives matter. They help children move toward wholeness as they stand by their sides and help them learn how to jump rope and soar through the air off the water trampoline. These special moments are sprinkled throughout each day – when a counselor and a camper connect and joy or compassion passes between them.

When you are a child who is accustomed to being on the losing end of the American social system and a kind person who you look up to tells you that they want to spend time with you, it makes a huge difference. When you are a child who rarely hears, “You are so talented!” or “What a fabulous horse back rider you are!” and you get to spend the week being genuinely respected by people who you feel safe with – folks who offer you another view of what life could be – your life trajectory might just change.

I know that the campers’ lives are changed when they come to Camp To Belong MA. You can hear it in their heartfelt voices at the closing campfire. Kids who were reluctant to come to camp saying that now they don’t want to leave.

I also see how the counselors are deeply touched by their experience. They are raising money for innovative social programs, becoming foster and adoptive parents, choosing to volunteer for CASA(Court Appointed Special Advocates), riding their bikes across the country to raise money for CTB MA, even getting Mr. T haircuts to send children to camp.

After the first season of CTB MA, I launched a monthly sibling connection program so that the kids could continue spending time with their siblings and counselor friends. We are now entering our 6th season of Sibling Sunday! All made possible by the generous people who volunteer their time and fabulous energy to help give our campers an unshakable sense of belonging and connection. Thank you all! You are my heroes.

Kids grooming horses, building with Legos, eating homemade muffins, playing UNO and sitting at a picnic table drawing pictures of their favorite horses. This is a group of happy campers. As they engage in their morning activities, the kids hear the occasional neigh of a horse and the clip clop of hooves as horses are led outside. Some look up and smile. Others continue building, eating, chatting and drawing.

This is Arrival Time at Birdsong Farm. Birdsong, which is situated in a barn that is surrounded by lush green pastures, offers a new approach to summer enrichment that is designed to support children who are experiencing foster care. Later in the day the kids will put on their new riding boots and helmets before they saddle up to ride horses with names like Dorie, PB and Blue. They are all eager and focused beginning riders. They sit up straight, put their heels down and steer their horses around the ring with big smiles on their faces. On hot afternoons the kids spend time giving the horses a bath. Their instructors are equestrians, teachers, foster/adoptive parents and volunteers, both human and animal.

Birdsong Farm started this summer. It’s the last of the three non-profit organizations I planned to establish in order to bring innovation and opportunity to children who experience foster care. The first two, the Treehouse Foundation and Sibling Connections, are focused on creating compelling new ways to increase family and community connections.

Birdsong Farm’s primary mission is to address some of the unique educational challenges children in foster care face. My goal: to collaborate with other out-of-the-box thinkers to inspire a re-envisioning of foster care. We are on our way in Massachusetts! Lots of folks are investing their time, dollars and expertise to create a vibrant new culture of possibility.

I chose to site Birdsong on a farm for a number of reasons. As a social entrepreneur, I am eager to create a year-round learning community that can be replicated across the country and benefit many students. As an educator, I want to address the dismal educational outcomes of our young people whose lives have been impacted by foster care. As a teacher, I value the farm as a classroom. As a foster/adoptive parent, I have come to respect animals as teachers. Specifically horses, dogs, pot bellied pigs, goats, and bunnies who inspire and motivate learning as well as help restore the health and well-being of children who have suffered challenging beginnings.

My maternal grandparents were farmers in northern California. Getting back to the land and having my own farm with a big red barn, an organic garden, and an ark full of animals has been a long time dream. The idea of creating a learning community with a cohort of visionaries, philanthropists, farmers, equestrians, teachers, therapists and students brings me great joy.

While I look for the right piece of land and scout around for the best folks to partner with to develop Birdsong Farm, I want to experiment a little. This summer I decided to launch Birdsong with a small summer program at a beautiful equestrian center. Before we started, kids and families visited to meet their teachers. Watching their faces light up as they strolled around the barn we’ve rented made my heart sing. This is my first barn classroom. Over the years, I’ve set up bulletin boards, learning centers and accessible storage areas in lots of settings, including camps, but not one where horses watched me as I lined up colorful buckets and hung name tags on hooks!

Yesterday after I finished my classroom chores, I sat outside at the picnic table. A wave of happiness washed over me. There were kids in the outdoor ring having a lesson, kids outside washing horses, and kids grooming their ponies. Everyone was connected and engaged in a positive setting. Everyone was safe. Lessons were being learned on many levels and peace filled the air.

Sometimes when I am at Treehouse or Camp To Belong MA and people are connecting in wonderful ways, a feeling of joy washes over me. I feel immense gratitude for all the people who have come together to invest in innovation: volunteering their time and expertise, donating fiscal resources, choosing to become engaged, and actively creating new possibilities.

Today at Birdsong Farm I feel deep appreciation as I watch a group of kids gently brushing the mane of one of their favorite horses. The teacher in me is happy. The visionary in me knows that Birdsong Farm offers a new idea that people can fully embrace. I give thanks for our great summer staff, the kids, their families and this beautiful place. I savor the moment. Now that’s something I look forward to doing more of as Birdsong Farm grows and flourishes!

Challenge: Every day in DCF offices across the state, children who have been removed from their homes and placed in foster care are waiting to find out where they will go next with their belongings in trash bags.

Solution: Send children experiencing foster care the message that they are worthy. Provide each child with a suitcase and fill them with a few special items so that they feel someone cares about them. What a great way for citizens who pay for the public foster care system to enhance the way we practice child welfare in our communities.

How It Works
The Suitcase Project is a Treehouse Foundation initiative designed to support children of all ages who are experiencing foster care: newborns, infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers, elementary age kids, middle schoolers and teens.

Our Suitcase Project Pilot Program is currently supporting kids who are being cared for by one DCF office. Our vision: to create a replicable model of the Suitcase Project for DCF offices statewide so that it each youngster who enters foster care in the Commonwealth will automatically receive a suitcase filled with age appropriate items.

How You Can Help!
To ensure that we supply a steady stream of suitcases and developmentally appropriate items such new stuffed animals, blankets, clothing, pajamas, books and/or gift cards, we need your help! We are looking for businesses who will donate items and become Suitcase Project sponsors, individuals who will act as Team Captains to secure in-kind donations, folks who will host Suitcase Events, and others who will help us transport items.

Supporting The Suitcase Project is a great way for families to introduce their kids to the idea of community service. It’s also a fun way for faith based organizations, schools, civic groups and youth groups to become part of this innovative solution. Young people celebrating their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, birthdays and other special events can hold a suitcase drive.

To find out how you can help call 413. 527. 7966.

My friend and esteemed colleague, award-winning journalist Daniel Heimpel, is the founder and director of Fostering Media Connections based in California. He is touring the country documenting innovative programs and practices that elevate foster care in a variety of ways and trying his hardest to get local media to talk about them. He recently wrote, “We need to change the entire narrative of the foster care system: from the image of something broken to that of a system on the mend. That shift in narrative is very difficult to accomplish. The media’s understanding of foster care is limited, a decade behind what is really happening; and the inertia associated with the established narrative has deep roots.”

Our individual and collective visions and strategies for changing the narrative of the foster care system nationwide include shining the spotlight on innovative solutions and compelling new options being developed by The Treehouse Foundation, Sibling Connections, Bridge Meadows, The Kinship Center, Generations Together and many others across the country.

Recently the Treehouse Foundation had the honor of being hosted by two philanthropic Giving Circles. At both of these grass roots events, where speakers were surrounded by ordinary citizens who were eager to learn about the dynamic programs being developed to support young Americans experiencing foster care, I was struck by the level of interest that community members of all ages demonstrated – folks want to shift the foster care narrative. They want to become engaged. They just don’t know how. Now they have some interesting possibilities to choose from.

Check out this compelling menu of engagement options that the Treehouse Foundation offered up at recent fundraisers. It offers kids, teens, young adults, families and older adults some exciting new ways to plug in and become part of that narrative change here in Massachusetts. Feel free to select one to support yourself!
If you live in the Bay Area, Daniel is hosting a Fostering Media Connections Mixer tonight. Check out the Fostering Media Connections website or his Facebook page to find out the details.
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Treehouse = Family & Community

The Treehouse Approach is
creating a culture of possibility &
changing the narrative of foster care.
It is definitely Out of the Foster Care Box!

The Treehouse Community is a multi-generational neighborhood where families who are adopting children from foster care live with caring neighbors in a vibrant village that fosters connections between people of all ages. Since 2006, over 100 people, ranging in age from 4-90 have been investing in one another’s lives on Treehouse Circle.

Treehouse is also a Center of Innovation for Foster/Adoptive Care that supports children whose lives have been impacted by foster care throughout an entire region.

How do we do that?
By inviting people of all ages to help us bring
innovative programs & practices to vulnerable children AND by expanding the pool of potential resources for our kids in care.

More people engaged = More resources
More resources = More connections
More connections means kids are not “aging out” of foster
care without life-long families & community connections.

Support these unique Treehouse Programs.
Help Re-Envision Foster Care in the Commonwealth!
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Big Red Barn Animal Therapy Program at Legacy Farm
It is well documented that animal assisted activities promote healthy relationship building for children who have experienced trauma and loss. Spending time in a barn with certified instructors, parents, social workers and Treehouse staff taking care of animals, learning how to ride a horse and sitting with a bunny in your lap enhance the health and well-being of children whose lives have been impacted by foster care. The Treehouse Foundation has partnered with professionals at Legacy Farm to offer the Big Red Barn Program whenever we have been able to raise money to offer this innovative program to children and families. With your help we can offer it again this summer and fall.

Treehouse-Berkshire East Outdoor Action Project
Berkshire East is known for its winter sports and zip line Canopy Tours.
Research shows that children who have experienced challenging beginnings benefit from gaining mastery over their bodies thru outdoor/sports experiences. Berkshire East offers children living on Treehouse Circle a reduced rate to learn how to ski and snowboard in the winter as well as experiencing zip lining in the spring, summer and fall to build self esteem and competence.

Treehouse Community Garden Project
As we head into our 4th season in the Treehouse Community Garden
Treehouse community members of all ages are led by Hope Guardenier,
experienced garden educator. In addition to caring for the garden itself,
the group is focused on community composting, hosting a weekly Treehouse Farmer’s Market, and creating Treehouse Garden products to sell on Treehouse Circle and throughout the Pioneer Valley.

Treehouse-Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
Early Literacy Program
This fabulous joint project offers young children experiencing foster care throughout the Pioneer Valley the opportunity to come to Treehouse with their parents and participate in a weekly hands-on Early Literacy Program. Children are welcomed to the Treehouse Community Center, enjoy a healthy snack, listen to a story, spend time exploring art materials, hear a second story and take home a book each week. Kids and parents have given this innovative program facilitated by Treehouse and Eric Carle staff a huge thumbs up. It’s the only project of its kind in the region.

Treehouse-Enchanted Circle Arts & Learning Project
The first year that the Arts & Learning Project launched fifteen 5th – 9th graders living at Treehouse were inspired and motivated to learn through the arts – drama, photography, poetry, music and more. The dynamic Enchanted Circle Theatre staff facilitated this amazing adventure along with Treehouse staff and elders. This year, we partnered with Hampshire Educational Collaborative to take the Arts & Learning Project over to the White Brook Middle School’s After School Program.

Treehouse Hear Our Voices Project
Empowering young women, their mothers and female elders through
a customized Holyoke Rows program last fall was very exciting to witness
and be a part of. Elders teaching younger women how to fasten into their boats, showing them rowing techniques, and seeing mother/daughter teams learning together is very inspirational. With your help, we look forward to continuing this Connecticut River journey during the spring, summer and fall.

Treehouse Suitcase Project
Providing children entering the public foster care system with a suitcase so they don’t have to carry their personal belongings in trash bags is a way of honoring each young person’s life. The Treehouse Suitcase Project is piloting a program with one DCF office to create a replicable model that can be used in DCF offices across the Commonwealth in order to ensure that every newborn, infant, toddler, pre-schooler, elementary aged child, middle schooler and teen is shown that they are cared about by people in their communities. Join with your family, friends and neighbors to collect suitcases. Show our kids experiencing foster care that you find them worthy of your investment!

The Treehouse Foundation is deeply grateful for your interest in learning more about our menu of new Treehouse programs that benefit children experiencing foster care. Thank you for your support!

Some adoptive families call it “Gotcha Day”. Others call it “Arrival Day”. In some homes it is known as “Family Day”. For our family today is “the day” and we are still trying to come up with a name for it. We refer to it as “the day you came into our lives” and we have photos that capture the moment. We know it doesn’t really matter what we call it because we all understand its significance and my youngest child knows this part of her story by heart.

Eleven years ago today I didn’t give birth but I remember it as clearly as I do laboring and birthing my first two children. Like those first two birthing experiences, the day stands out with a clarity that defies the passing of time.

On May 11, 1999, I went to work, totally unaware that my life was about to change. It was a beautiful sunny morning, a little bit warmer than today. I dropped my 12 year old daughter off at school and said, “Have a great day!” Then I drove to my Brookline Village toy store, No Kidding!, a place that was known for celebrating the magic of childhood, family and community.

It was the day before my birthday. I was in a really good mood. After saying hello to all of my colleagues and walking through the store to see what areas needed to be replenished, I went downstairs to the basement to begin collecting toys, dolls, dress up clothes and stuffed animals – one of my favorite tasks.

While I was downstairs plucking goodies off of shelves and imagining re-designs upstairs I heard the phone ring. Someone upstairs picked up the phone and I continued pondering the possibilities. A few moments later she came downstairs to tell me that there was someone on the phone who wanted to speak to me.

When I picked up the phone from the child sized table next to the fax machine and heard the voice of the lovely social worker who had taught our MAPP training class and done our family’s home study so that we could become a foster family, it didn’t dawn on me that she would be placing anyone in our home. We had just completed the course the night before. I thought she might be following up with some forgotten detail from the class.

Instead she told me that two little sisters had just come onto her case load and she wondered if we would open our home to them. Standing in the basement of No Kidding! I felt tears spring to my eyes. I wiped them away and told her I would call my husband and get right back to her. We said a resounding YES! The rest is history. The girls and their peers in foster care inspired me to sell my stores and head out into the world to collaborate with other innovators to inspire a re-envisioning of foster care in America.

When the girls were little I used to take them to say goodnight to the horses at a nearby stable. The three of us would go from stall to stall wishing the horses a good night. Before we got back into the car we would say, “Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight…. Then I would wish them each a wonderful life. All was quiet and peaceful in the barn. All was well with us. The girls would fall asleep in their car seats and I would scoop them up and place them in their beds when we got home.

Over the years our lives have changed but our love of horses and barns remain. So does my wish that the girls and all young Americans have a wonderful life. I also wish them all the opportunity to experience caring connections. Today, as we celebrate the anniversary of our first meeting, I look forward to telling The Story of the Phone Call and celebrating those connections which have enriched my life in so many ways…

11 years ago this month I became a foster parent and entered the world of child welfare with a 5 month old on one hip and a 17 month old on the other. Two little sisters who had been removed from their home and placed in the public foster care system. To say it was a life changing moment is an understatement. It was a catalyst that completely changed my life and shifted my attention from a world where children are surrounded by caring people who offer them an array of life opportunities every day of their lives to a world where children are barely noticed and rarely invested in.

In 2001 I sold my businesses and began living my life differently. Outwardly I was a parent by birth, a foster mom, a former teacher and a businesswoman. Inwardly I experienced a life transformation that led me to become a full time child advocate and social entrepreneur.

Two realities shaped my journey. The first is this statistic: Every year as many as 25, 000 young people “age out” of foster care at the age of 18 without enduring family relationships or community connections. Suddenly, after a childhood spent in a system that has made every important life decision for them, they are on their own with no support system. The result: Every year these 25,000 youths are at risk for homelessness, unemployment, incarceration and becoming teen parents.

The second reality that guided my actions is that most Americans think there are only two ways they can support a child experiencing foster care: to become a foster parent or adopt a child from foster care. This is too much to ask of most people. The result: hundreds of thousands of potential resources turn and walk away from the children in their communities who need them the most.

Those two realities inspired me to establish the Treehouse Foundation and Sibling Connections, two non-profit organizations dedicated to enhancing the lives of young people who experience foster care. They also spurred me on to become an adoptive parent, collaborate with outstanding individuals and organizations, and raise over $15 million dollars to help inspire a re-envisioning of foster care in America.

My goal: To establish a compelling Menu of Engagement Options that invites Americans of all ages to invest in the lives of vulnerable children. To create exciting, new opportunities that allows more Americans to get to know children in their own backyards. To offer folks of all ages innovative ways to create lasting change for the more than 500,000 children who we have placed in foster care.

First on my agenda: To move children out of foster care and into life long families so that they won’t “age out. To accomplish this task the Treehouse Foundation and Beacon Communities LLC built the first Treehouse Community – a multi-generational village in Easthampton, MA where families who are adopting children from the public foster care system live with caring neighbors who invest in one another’s lives daily. Berkshire Children and Families is our child welfare partner at the Treehouse Community where over 100 members, ranging in age from 4 – 90, have lived together for the past 4 years. Together we are co-creating a vibrant community model.

In addition, the Treehouse Foundation has collaborated with a host of folks from all over western Massachusetts to develop the Treehouse Center of Innovation for Foster/Adoptive Care. The TCI is designed to strengthen lives both in the community and throughout the region.

This month we begin expanding the Treehouse Community model through home ownership opportunities. We are inviting first time and seasoned home buyers who are interested in becoming part of this exciting new Treehouse Community Approach to come live on Treehouse Circle.

The Treehouse Community is a place where we ask the questions “Under what conditions do children who have experienced foster care flourish?” and “What does it take for a community to invest in the lives of its most vulnerable citizens of all ages?” We are learning a great deal and are sharing that information with folks in other states who are interested in building Treehouse-inspired communities and developing Treehouse Centers of Innovation.

Children surrounded by a caring community of volunteer counselors and mentors who invest in their health and well-being all year long is at the heart of the Sibling Connections programming as well. Sisters and brothers who have been separated when placed in foster care are invited to participate in our year-round sibling connection initiative. This summer over 100 siblings will come together to create joyous, shared memories at Camp To Belong MA. When the campers head home at the end of the week, they will be invited to attend Sibling Sunday, our monthly program.

Each summer over 50 volunteers, ages 21 – 65, come together to support sisters and brothers whose lives have been impacted by foster care. Most have never met a child experiencing foster care. They are drawn to the program because they cannot imagine growing up without their siblings. They come because they care. Many volunteers attend Sibling Sundays, become Sibling Connections board members, help fundraise for the organization, become social workers, CASA advocates, foster and adoptive parents. Volunteer counselors meet the kids, spend time with them, care about them, and become on-going resources in one way or another.

As we celebrate National Foster Care Month, I invite you to support the work of the Treehouse Foundation and Sibling Connections. I invite you to consider children who have been removed from their homes and placed in foster care as “our children”. I invite you to invest in innovation so that our children in foster care will be given the same opportunities our children by birth enjoy. I encourage you to reach out to vulnerable children in your backyard and give them a soft place to land – something we all deserve.

Mel Lambert has a heart of gold. She is good, kind and generous. She gives her time, treasure and talent freely to vulnerable children and to sisters and brothers who have been separated when placed in foster care. Here is a great example of Mel in Action.

Mel recently became a Sibling Connections board member. Our primary mission is to create enduring relationships for siblings who experience foster care through innovative programs and practices. As such, she understands that it is the board’s fiduciary responsibility to raise $100,000.00 every year so that 100 sisters and brothers from all across the state can come spend time together at Camp To Belong MA. How did she approach this task??! With incredible gusto!

She threw a Dance A Thon in the shopping plaza in front of her Brockton Spa and Gym and invited the entire community to come and learn about our year-round sibling connection initiative. Who showed up? The Mayor, her dance and exercise instructors, gym members, her mom and several generations of her entire family (Mel is one of eight siblings so she truly understands what it would mean to not be connected to your sisters and brothers throughout your childhood). Her miniature ponies were there, Lambert’s Market donated food throughout the day, music was playing, people were dancing and Mel was up on the stage leading us all. It was a remarkable celebration with the focus on keeping kids connected.

One of my favorite moments of the day was looking around the parking lot and seeing campers dancing, making bracelets, and happily introducing little kids to the ponies. Mel’s mom was seated up by the stage clapping her hands and tapping her feet to the music as her daughters and grandchildren moved to Mel’s instructions. People of all ages were having a wonderful time tasting food, chatting and putting their donations in the Camp To Belong MA box.

At the end of the day, after we had walked the ponies up onto Mel’s Pony Pals trailer and swept up the last of the shavings, we stood around and shared our collective appreciation for the event. As we walked across the parking lot to our car I asked my daughter to turn around and look at Mel. “Now that is a good woman!”, I said. “She sure is!”, remarked my 11 year old daughter fully recognizing Mel’s amazing leadership and generosity. Thank you Mel! You are a fabulous example for us all.

PS.. At last count, Mel’s efforts have brought in over $10,000.00 to support Camp To Belong MA and the checks are still arriving…

Recently a seasoned non-profit professional working with the Treehouse Foundation gave me a strategic homework assignment: to go out and talk with successful colleagues around the country who are further along the non-profit path to find out when their organizations achieved optimum forward motion, their tipping points. In short, to find out how these non-profit leaders created the tipping points that led to their success.

I found the assignment exciting for a couple of reasons. First, the Treehouse Foundation and it’s two major initiatives, the Treehouse Community and the Treehouse Center of Innovation for Foster/Adoptive Care, are young. Typically organizational development consultants would be talking about tipping points and leverage with a more seasoned organization. However, thanks to the unique collaborations we have created with Beacon Communities, Berkshire Children & Families, Treehouse community members and our Treehouse Innovation Partners, we have been able to accomplish a great deal in a short amount of time. Second, I love collaborating with others to move the Treehouse Foundation forward so we can expand the number of folks actively supporting our mission to help improve the odds for or our young people experiencing foster care.

Before I started my assignment, I wanted to look closely at the two major initiatives led by the Treehouse Foundation:

1. The Treehouse Community is home to over 100 people, ranging in age from 4 to 90. It’s a multi-generational neighborhood that strives to help prevent children from “aging out” of foster care by removing them from the foster care system and providing them with enduring family relationships and community connections.

In the Treehouse Community, where families who are adopting children from foster care live with neighbors who invest in their lives daily, we have learned that when we care about the lives of all of our neighbors the health of everyone involved is enhanced. Widespread investment in lives, community based solutions, and well-being are critical to the success of the Treehouse Community and the Treehouse Community Approach.

2. The Treehouse Center of Innovation for Foster/Adoptive Care seeks to collaborate with philanthropists, civic and business leaders, non-profit organizations, colleges and universities, national thought leaders, and social entrepreneurs to create innovative programs and practices. The TCI, in collaboration with its Treehouse Innovation Partners, supports the strengthening of lives throughout western MA. TCI is currently collaborating with Enchanted Circle Theatre, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Friends of Children, Hampshire Educational Collaborative, Holyoke Rows, Sibling Connections, School Sprouts, Smith College, Westfield State, UMass and others to transform lives both on Treehouse Circle and throughout the western region. Our goal: to develop and pilot a compelling new menu of engagement options that serve children, families and communities in our backyard – a menu of exciting new ways for people of all ages to support vulnerable children that we can offer up to the nation for replication.

Sharing the unique Treehouse Foundation strategy for creating a culture of possibility is helping to fundamentally change the way we care for our youth whose lives have been impacted by foster care. The Treehouse Community and TCI Approaches bring more energy, people, ideas, collaborations, creativity and fiscal resources to our young people in foster care. The result: hundreds of young people in our region are not at high risk for homelessness, incarceration, teen parenting. leaving school without a diploma and unemployment because they are surrounded my a cadre of caring people who are invested in their success.

With the Treehouse Community and TCI Approaches in mind, I got out my copy of Malcom Gladwell’s book, the Tipping Point. It’s a book about change. Gladwell says on Gladwell.com, that the Tipping Point “is concerned with figuring out the rules by which social change happens.” The phrase comes from the world of epidemiology. It’s the name given to that moment in an epidemic when a virus reaches critical mass. It’s the boiling point. It’s the moment on the graph when the line starts to shoot upwards.” Wikipedia notes that tipping points are “the levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable.”

As soon as I was satisfied that I knew what I was asking people to describe, I picked up the phone and began reaching out to colleagues around the country. I told them about my assignment and listened closely to their tipping point stories.. I learned about creative strategies that non-profits engage in to stay alive in this economically challenging time. I learned a lot about organizational development. The most interesting fact I learned was this: Each and every one of my colleagues said that their organizational tipping point came when people decided to invest in their mission, their approach and their idea.

Widespread investment looks like this: committed philanthropists, engaged board members, support from civic leaders, multi-disciplinary buy-in, writers sharing the good news about the organization, a broad based coalition of support for the mission and vision of the organization, an array of strong partnerships.

When people chose to invest in the organizations they began to live their mission and vision in the best ways possible. They served more people. They began to create lasting change. They documented their findings and shared them with others around the country and inspired community leaders and citizens to join in and become part of the solution. They broadened their base of support and began to tip.

What I learned from my esteemed colleagues is that when lots of people consider the Treehouse Foundation’s mission and innovative approach an asset AND commit to it wholeheartedly, we will begin to move toward our tipping point. May non-profit leaders used the phrase, “strength in numbers”. In short, we need a solid base of investment that makes the line on the Treehouse Foundation graph shoot upwards.

Here’s to investment in the Treehouse Foundation! Investment- in healthy lives, raised expectations and engaged communities. Investment- in innovation, opportunity and leveling the playing field. Investment- in the creation of a “culture of possibility” for all of our nation’s children.

You know me. I am a full time advocate for re-envisioning foster care in America. Vision begins with what we want for our children. Getting people together to create and articulate this new vision is key to moving forward as a nation. Highlighting our collective vision and innovation are critical next steps to securing broader investment. Recently I have been in conversation with innovators across the country who are also eager to make this happen. One of them told me about an early childhood conference in California called Investments in Early Learning that I found very interesting.

The keynote speaker was Joan Lombardi, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Policy and Inter-Departmental Liason for Early Childhood, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She made a great speech and in it spoke about what she wants for young children in America. In it she said, “Here’s my top five, my list of what I want for children. Number one, joy. We need to accept that it’s okay for us to have, as a goal, that children are joyful. Then, order. Maria Montessori understood this. Third, persistence. Our kids live in an instant world, and when things don’t happen quickly, they give up. Fourth, curiosity; and fifth, language. Not just words, but the language of math, the language of music.”

Ms. Lombardi inspired me. I sat down and began writing My Top Five. Here it is. It’s a list of what I want for children who have been removed from their homes and placed in the public foster care system.

Number one, life-long connections. We need to accept that its okay for us to have, as a goal, that children in foster care are provided with enduring family relationships and lasting community connections so they can spend their childhoods within a loving family system and a supportive community.

Then, opportunity. When I walked through the doors of child welfare for the first time, the lack of opportunity was the first thing I noticed. I looked at my children by birth who had been given the gifts of possibility, community wide encouragement, and opportunity. I looked at the little ones in my arms, spoke to their peers who were leaving the foster care system and was inspired to level the playing field. We all know about the 25,000 young Americans who “age out” of foster care annually with no family, no community and few opportunities. We know about the every day challenges they face and the fact that they are at high risk for homelessness, incarceration, leaving school without a diploma, teen parenting, and lives of poverty. It is time to change this depressing and predictable statistic.

Third, stellar mental health services so the half a million children who are in foster care, and the thousands who are being removed from their homes and placed in foster care across this country every day can understand the complexities in their lives, begin to heal and move forward to live an expansive and connected life.

Fourth, innovative educational experiences so they can thoroughly enjoy learning, feel competent at school, be on par with their peers, and graduate with a diploma and a positive plan for their future.

Fifth, our investment. Without our investment of time, resources, and innovation things will remain the same. Lives will be wasted, potential will go untapped, and the nation will continue to fill homeless shelters, prisons and mental health facilities in communities around the country with young Americans in our backyards who we did not invest in when they first entered the public foster care system. We need to turn this ship around. In order to do that Americans need to invest in the lives of its most vulnerable children.

Many young people in foster care whose lives have been surrounded by investment and innovation are flourishing. They fill us with hope and encourage us to continue developing an array of public and private partnerships that inspire leading edge thinking and action.

Thanks Joan Lombardi. I appreciate your diligent efforts to promote investment in early childhood development. And I love the first item on your list. Joy. Now there’s something to shoot for. Joy for all children in America. Let’s start today! Bring joy to our young people in foster care. Contact me through my blog: Out of the Foster Care Box. Contribute your unique investment!

This month has been a time of traveling, connecting and thinking outside of my life’s little box. I was lucky enough to spend some February days with family in California where the grass was green, the trees were in bloom, and the flowerboxes screamed “Springtime!”

I always appreciate going home. I love the feel of the California sun on my face. Riding along with the car windows open in February is such a gift for someone from snow country! Leaning back with a huge smile on my face, I can feel winter’s cobwebs lift from my body and fly out the window. I can’t wait to get on a bike or out on a walking trail. Feasting my eyes on people in colorful clothes, some even wearing flip flops and short sleeved t-shirts, revives me. People are outside. They’re sauntering. My heart soars.

I give thanks to my parents and grandparents for choosing to settle in the west – all those Cockertons who came to northern California from England in the 1800s and the Jamiesons who came west from Scotland to settle outside of Sacramento. They gave me the legacy of a landscape full of green hills and oak trees bordering the Pacific. Like my mother and grandmother, I am a Native Daughter of the Golden West!

Throughout my childhood I sat by my grandmother’s side and asked her to tell me about her family’s adventures. When I was in high school I used to drive over to her house to spend the night. She was in her 80s and we thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company. Granny was a loving mother of 9 with nearly 18 adoring grandchildren and a handful of great-grandchildren to boot. She was our beloved matriarch, all five feet of her. She was also an awe- inspiring storyteller.

One of my favorite childhood tales was the story my grandmother used to tell about her family’s move to northern California when she was 10 years old. The journey began in Fresno with a small group of wagons and a giant flock of sheep.

She always set the stage as I got ready for bed. Her family members were as familiar to me as my favorite storybook characters. After I brushed my teeth she would continue the story, walking around the house turning out the lights in the kitchen and the living room. I would crawl in bed, snuggle under the covers, and glance up at a photo of her family that hung above the bed.

The most riveting part of the story came when she told about the difficulties they had crossing a river after a big storm. The rain had made it almost impossible for the group to forge the river without being swept downstream but her father and brothers got them all safely across. The way she described the ordeal was mesmerizing.

At the point where I knew my ancestors were safely on the road north with their big flock of sheep, I would start to drift. By the time her false teeth made their way through the Polident bubbles and landed gently at the bottom of the little glass on her bedside table, I would feel cozy and content, wrapped up in the warmth of a family tale.

This is the sense of family and belonging I hope I have woven into the tapestry of my children’s lives. I certainly had a wonderful mentor. My grandmother gave me the gift of her goodness. It radiated from her. I was still in my early twenties when my father died. I flew home from New York, drove straight to my grandmother’s, and lay my head in her lap. Her presence was an immense comfort to me.

I believe all children deserve to experience generosity, kindness, and the feeling of belonging that I felt when I spent time with my grandmother. During my trip I was fortunate to spend time riding bikes, walking at Land’s End in San Francisco and meandering down College Avenue in Berkeley with like-minded folks who are eager to collaborate on inspiring a re-envisioning of foster care in America.

Together we are developing new ways to enhance the lives of children from the east coast to the west coast and beyond. It is definitely an idea whose time has come. Stay tuned. We’re moving forward with my grandmother’s legacy nestled firmly in our hearts.

We hope you find our innovative efforts worthy of your financial support. We need it to effect the level of change this task requires. If you do, please make a donation at our secure website: www.treehousecommunities.org

Thank you!

Stonyfield Farm began with seven cows in a leaky barn. Now it’s the world’s leading organic yogurt. I sit with a cup of Stonyfield every morning and dream of having my own farm. A farm that offers something for kids whose lives have been impacted by foster care – a dynamic and supportive place to come and learn in nature’s finest classrooms as well as in barns, riding rings, organic gardens, farm stands, harvest kitchens and open air farmer’s markets. Birdsong Farm is designed to be a year-round education center. It will offer programs both on and off the farm. Some of its finest teachers will be animals and plants.

I have always been drawn to farms. My grandparents were farmers. My mom grew up on a ranch in northern California. One of my earliest childhood memories is of me riding with my mom, sitting snug in the saddle with her arms wrapped around me as we traveled on horseback around my uncle’s ranch. My sister and I talk about what it means to return to our family roots as this stage of our lives. This time our family will be farming with a mission to restore the health and well-being of our nation’s most vulnerable children.

As a country we need to look at where kids who age out of foster care typically end up. Then we need to dedicate ourselves to creating a new set of statistics. Instead of outcomes that include homeless shelters, mental health facilities, prisons and unemployment lines, let’s envision young adults who are productive citizens, engaged in family and community life. Let’s move children out of foster care and into life long families and surround them with caring neighbors who invest in their lives (the Treehouse Community model). Let’s make sure they are connected to their sisters and brothers (the Sibling Connections model). Let’s improve their educational experiences.

Educational outcomes for children who experience foster care in this country are dismal. This is primarily due to the trauma of being removed from their homes and families, trying to deal with the loss and grief associated with that removal and/or the neglect and abuse they may have suffered. In addition, they have to make friends with two very stressful realities that come with being in the public foster care system: multiple moves to new foster homes and frequently being placed in new school settings. Such complex life situations often make succeeding in a typical school setting extremely difficult.

It’s time to respect the social, emotional and educational needs of 800,000 young Americans. It’s time to invest in innovative year-round approaches that are full of positive learning experiences designed to build core competencies and solid community connections. It’s time to thoughtfully design interactive educational programs that build confidence and skills so that kids will stay in school and avoid aging out of the foster care system without a place to live, a job, the consistent support of a caring adult or a high school diploma. We all know the outcomes for young people who drop out of school. We need to invest in new pilot models like Birdsong Farm to help our kids spiral up and out of school – away from a life of poverty.

My daughter and I lie in bed at night talking about Birdsong Farm. She draws pictures of the Birdsong Farm horse barn and the riding ring where trusting relationships will be developed between kids and their horses while they groom, ride and spend time with friends and teachers. Those experiences will be woven into math, science, language arts and social studies curriculum. She paints pictures of horses to put up in the Barn office. Pictures that will be hung alongside her poetry, stories and photos of favorite horse friends – Chloe, Dutchess, Ilando, Passion and Buttercup.

While my daughter envisions her life on a farm, I read information about raising chickens and goats, East Coast Assistance Dogs, organic gardening practices, innovation in education, and Green Chimneys in Brewster, New York. Dr. Sam Ross, founder of Green Chimneys inspired me when I was a young teacher. He continues to energize me today as we converse about the best practices Green Chimneys has developed over the past 61 years while serving vulnerable students in New York. Their animal-assisted programs are outstanding. I am profoundly grateful for his honestly and sage advice. While we talk I look for land and talk to philanthropists and potential partners about what is needed to develop, launch, evaluate and sustain the Birdsong Farm model. My experiences with the Treehouse and Sibling Connections Teams have helped guide me in this process. I am eager to add another new choice to the Menu of Engagement Options, one that helps better serve the educational needs of our kids experiencing foster care. With hope and enthusiasm the Birdsong Farm Team will work to bring Birdsong Farm a reality. Please join us!

When I first became a foster parent I was focused on supporting a few children in my home. After meeting hundreds of young people who had been placed in foster care I began asking myself, “What does it mean for us as a country when 25,000 young Americans leave the foster care system at the age of 18 every year without a place to live, a job, the consistent support of a caring adult or a high school diploma?” You know, you just can’t ask yourself that question and then walk away…

I began looking for solutions. When I couldn’t find them I started envisioning them. As a teacher I’m interested in a variety of approaches and options – a menu of exciting new community-based programs that address the needs of our most vulnerable young people appeals to me: the need for a stable and loving family, life-long family connections, healthy relationships, a good education, to be productive citizens, and experience a life well-lived. I want to invite people in to be part of the solution. I know from being a foster parent that our state agencies need folks to help out. Their mandate is child safety. I think we all know that the kids need us to chip in. So I like to consider how citizen-led change can enhance the child welfare landscape.

Ten years ago I envisioned an intergenerational community where families adopting children from foster care live with elders in a vibrant neighborhood setting. I named it Treehouse and, thanks to the generosity and expertise of a myriad of Treehouse funders and partners, we opened our first Treehouse Community in June 2006. Since then Treehouse has been home to over 100 people, ranging in age from 4 – 90, who are building caring relationships across the generations. It’s a very inspiring place.

A short time after I found the land for Treehouse I got a call from my daughter’s pre-school teacher letting me know that she had a raging fever. I raced over to school and picked her up. When we got home she fell asleep in my lap. Not wanting to disturb her, I turned on the TV and watched Oprah. That day Camp To Belong founder, Lynn Price, received one of Oprah’s Use Your Life Awards. Lynn, a former youth in foster care, created a great camp where sisters and brothers who have been separated when placed in foster care come together for a week to create joyous shared memories.

Before I became a full time child advocate for children who experience foster care I was a teacher, a mom, and the owner of two specialty toy stores. I care about the well-being of children and families in my community. Keeping our daughter connected to her five siblings is a top priority. As I watched Oprah hand Lynn Price a check for $50,000.00 on national television, I realized that what we do for our daughter needs to be offered to siblings nationwide.

I called Lynn up and asked her if I could bring Camp To Belong to sisters and brothers in Massachusetts. She said, “Yes!” and we launched Camp To Belong MA in 2005. As the campers were getting on the bus to head home after that first season I started planning a year-round sibling connection initiative in order to make sure kids have the opportunity to create the kind of sibling bonds that would last a lifetime.

In the fall of 2005 I started a pilot program called Sibling Sunday and invited a group of sisters and brothers who had attended camp to join our CTB MA Program Director and a group of volunteer CTB MA counselors on the first Sunday of every month. Thanks to an innovative non-profit called Sibling Connections, Sibling Sunday programs are now offered monthly in both eastern and western MA.

These days I’m working hard with the Treehouse and Sibling Connections Teams to evaluate and sustain what we have begun. I’m also visualizing Birdsong Farm Education Center, a year-round learning community where students whose lives have been impacted by foster care are valued learners. Birdsong Farm is a place where kids with foster care histories belong. It’s an educational village where the focus is on thriving – a learning environment where kids who may struggle in conventional school settings are surrounded by a cadre of trauma informed teachers who might be farmers, gardeners, equestrians, dog trainers, outdoor educators, volunteers or social workers.

Birdsong Farm’s year-round programs will be offered in safe, hands-on learning environments that encourage students to explore, discover and develop an array of skills that support successful school, life and work experiences. I am inspired by Green Chimneys in Brewster, New York and enjoy talking with Green Chimneys founder, Dr. Sam Ross about his 61 year journey. Currently I am looking for land. I can’t wait to begin collaborating with another outstanding team of funders, partners and staff. My favorite thing in the world is creating powerful partnerships with leading edge thinkers and philanthropists.

Here’s to a year of fantastic partnerships. To generous philanthropists. To forward movement. Here’s to growth and development for the Treehouse Community, Sibling Connections and Birdsong Farm. May we all come together to do the right thing for kids in our own backyards. May we believe that our mission is possible.

Snow falling softly all night long in New England typically means there is no school the following morning. Teachers, kids and their families have a Snow Day.

I remember moving from California in the 1970s to teach in a school in the Boston suburbs. I was a twentysomething teacher who had never lived through a snowy winter. Recess for me growing up in the Bay Area meant throwing on a light sweater or a corduroy coat and heading outside to play. When I was six we had a light dusting of snow at our house and my mom went outside with a spoon, collected a bowl of snow and made “snow ice cream”. I had never made a snowperson, been on ice skates, or sat on a sled. I didn’t have a clue that part of my teaching duties would include helping my class full of 4-6 year olds deal with snowsuits, mittens, hats, gloves and boots before and after their outside play time!

“I remember hearing something about a February Vacation and wondering, “What is that?” It seemed a bit excessive and certainly meant that the school year lasted longer… All it took was one season for me to completely embrace the concept of a winter vacation where you could escape from the cold weather and stand up straight. I hadn’t quite gotten the hang of layering yet – a concept I have perfected over the years. Now I don’t care how pudgy I look. Forget fashion. All I care about is warmth.

Then there were Snow Days. Days off from school during the week when a snow storm prevented safe travel. My first year of teaching, whenever there was a Snow Day I headed over to the inner courtyard of the Boston Public Library to watch snowflakes fall silently, creating a soft white blanket of untouched snow. That was pure magic. It was so peaceful – my first experience of being surrounded by a deep silence that is full of well-being.

When we moved from Back Bay to Concord, I had the pleasure of being woken up on Snow Days to the sound of a fog horn. In those days, the town of Concord sounded one type of horn to let residents know when someone escaped from the Concord Prison. Then they sounded a distinctive Snow Day horn to let folks know when school was closed. Those of us who worked in the Concord schools could simply roll over and go back to sleep… If you had no children, no dogs, and no other major responsibilities it was heaven on earth.

A Snow Day was literally a free day inserted into the middle of the week thanks to Mother Nature. We spent the day reading, baking, making snow people, sledding, and walking around town visiting friends, neighbors and our favorite stores. Sometimes we took our sleds along so we could pull our purchases home.

This past Saturday night there were a couple of inches of fresh snow on the ground. B and her little sister asked to go out into the backyard with the dog and play. We turned on the lights as they bundled up in snow garb and prepared to head out. Their favorite neighbor came over and joined them. For two hours they played. Laughter floated into the house as they built a snow fort, played on the backyard slide, and went sledding down gentle slopes before coming in for cups of hot chocolate. We were thrilled about the unexpected gift. There were smiles all around: happy kids, happy dog, happy parents.

Today we are experiencing a winter storm. Schools in western Massachusetts are closed. Kids at Treehouse are outside sculpting snow people, snow creatures and snow forts. Some families are using kick sleds to travel across the meadow. There are four pots of delicious soup in the fridge from Monday night’s Soup Tasting. Perhaps some community members will come together and share a tasty lunch. Maybe there will be a Hot Chocolate Party. Tea pots and mugs are standing at the ready. There are art supplies in the Community Center closet and the Game Library is fully stocked with board games. There are movies to be watched and the library is full of books to be read.

Happy Snow Day Everyone!

This beautiful photo of Jesse, Evelyn and their captivating Christmas tree transports me back to December 1980. Jesse was one month old and we were celebrating our first holiday season as a family. We were two excited parents eager to start creating some traditions of our own – traditions that honored our dual heritage and felt kid friendly.

The first thing we did was go out and search for a menorah that would be the centerpiece of our family Hanukkah celebrations. We found a beautiful handmade menorah at Kolbo in Brookline, MA. I just polished it for this Friday night’s Hanukkah fiesta. It will bring joy to our 10 year old and her little sister just like it delighted Jesse and Jenna as they were growing up. We have photos of all the kids with our Kolbo menorah and the collection of smaller menorahs that we’ve accumulated to add more light to the eight night Hanukkah experience. In each one the kids look relaxed and radiant.

Christmas also makes us happy. Our Christmas traditions have evolved over the past twenty nine years too but they always seem to include opening presents in front of the fireplace, making fresh squeezed orange juice, listening to great music, and eating a tasty brunch. When I owned my toy stores, I always spent Christmas Day in my robe and slippers. When guests arrived for dinner they were greeted by a woman in her pajamas with a huge smile on her face.

This year our tree will go up after Hanukkah. We will bring out the ornament boxes and sift through our collection of hand picked options. We’ll choose which ones we’ll hang up while the Roche sisters sing Christmas carols and freshly baked cookies are placed in tins to deliver to our friends and neighbors. Someone just gave us a recipe for cookies that horses with Cushings disease can eat. I think we’ll test that recipe for Chloe and Corey over at the barn.

While we are baking and decorating and humming along to the Roche sisters, I am going to look at this photo of Jesse, Evelyn and their fabulous little tree and smile. Knowing that a piece of our family legacy is with them on the west coast makes me happy. I’ll fondly remember the first five years of our family holidays. That time in our lives when we put up the Christmas tree on the first of December. When Jesse, fresh from his nightly bath, would choose a colorful tissue wrapped package from the Ornament Basket, unwrap it, and get that twinkle in his eyes when he discovered what treat was inside. That is still one of my all time favorite bedtime rituals.

We had fun with the Ornament Basket for the 24 days before Christmas until our collection was large enough to fill a 6 foot Christmas tree… You can see some of Jesse’s favorites in the photo – the sheep, those little stockings, the stuffed dino up by the star… I remember him unwrapping them, placing them on a branch, reading stories by the light of the Christmas tree, and then heading upstairs to his truck bed (that’s now stored in the garage).

I’m looking forward to celebrating the holidays with my family this month.
Whether folks are at our house or in their own homes, I am delighted that
our fun family traditions are being sprinkled from coast to coast.

Thanks for sharing the photo Jess.
All my love to you and Evelyn.
Enjoy that tree.
It’s adorable!

Every year nearly 25,000 young people “age out” of foster care without any enduring family relationships or community connections. This usually happens on their 18th birthday. They commonly leave the system without a place to live, a high school diploma, a job or the consistent support of a caring adult. The result: 25,000 vulnerable young Americans leave foster care and experience rates of homelessness, incarceration, and unemployment far above their peers.

Federal dollars have become available to begin addressing this “aging out” crisis. The focus is on creating programs for teens. But finding new ways to embrace and care for our most vulnerable children on the front end of their foster care experience is also critical in order to prevent “aging out” from happening in the first place.

In 2006, The Treehouse Foundation invited people of all ages to become part of a unique “aging out” solution designed to help America understand under
what conditions our young people with foster care histories can flourish. Its leadership led to the creation of a multigenerational neighborhood where families adopting children from foster care live with supportive neighbors.

The Treehouse Community model emphasizes finding humane and compassionate responses to support children that are community driven rather than solely reliant on social service systems. It provides children with a permanent family and a neighborhood invested in their health and well-being so that they do not leave foster care without anyone to count on. Treehouse inspired communities are currently being developed in California and Oregon.

Most Americans will hear about National Adoption Awareness Month and think it is a good thing. They will like the fact that on National Adoption Day a few thousand youngsters will be adopted from foster care. Some will be moved to pick up the phone to help out. Most will not. Not being offered any other alternatives to adoption or foster care, hundreds of thousands of potential resources will walk away from the children who need them the most.

Here’s an idea. Let’s create a menu of compelling new programs that serve kids in neighborhoods across America. Let’s offer folks an inviting array of ways to help, big and small. Partner with City Year and AmeriCorps as well as local colleges, universities and community organizations to help implement these exciting new program options and promote widespread engagement. Let’s give more Americans a chance to meet kids who need them. My experience is that volunteers who spend time with kids at camp,
in a garden or a barn are the ones who consider broader possibilities down the road.

To date my partners and I have created the following replicable models: the Treehouse Community, a year round sibling connection initiative, an animal therapy program, an intergenerational community garden, and an arts and learning project. Together we can do much more.

As we celebrate National Adoption Month this November please choose to honor the lives of the more than 500,000 children in our nation’s foster care system. Invest in innovation so that we can re-envision foster care in America.

Yesterday I met a beautiful little 3 week old baby girl in the Treehouse Library. She was sleeping peacefully in her little pink bunting, complete with fuzzy ears and feet. Her foster mother had come to Treehouse to attend a monthly foster parent support group for families in the region.

As I gazed down upon her I felt a rush of emotion. I realized that anyone who met this sweet baby would never know that she had been removed from her family and placed in foster care. In that moment she was not labeled, she was not stigmatized or limited by us in any way.

I stood by her car seat and thought, “She is full of potential and, if we care for her in the right ways, she will be able to live her life fully on a level playing field with her peers who are not in the system. If we thoughtfully care for her, if we invest in her well-being and her life, she will be given every opportunity to flourish and succeed. If we pay attention, she will be able to live a healthy and productive life.

A young woman who lives at Treehouse was doing her homework when the baby entered the Library. She was busy at the computer but when she saw the baby and heard us say that she was only 3 weeks old, she got up and walked over to say hello. “Is she your baby?” she innocently asked the woman standing next to her car seat. “No,” the woman responded. “I’m her foster mother.”

She and I stood together touching her little pink toes. “I’ll bet you looked just like her when you were a baby!” I said quietly. I knew she was thinking back about her beginnings. I knew she was reflecting upon her experiences in foster care. She smiled. I hugged her. She went back to the computer to collect her things.

The parent support group was about to start so I made my way out of the Library. Out in the foyer I turned around and looked back at both girls. I silently vowed to continue to do whatever I could to make things better for them both. These lovely girls and their peers are my inspiration. They deserve the new realities we are creating for them!

“Onward and upward!” I say to myself.
“Raise that money!”
“Champion transformation!”
“The best way to grow is to change.”
“So, be the change! Collaborate with others and show 800,000 kids in foster
care that they are worthy of our time, our investment, and our resources.”

I am deeply grateful for all the wonderful people who are on this journey to support our nation’s children in foster care with me: funders, program partners, board members, program planners, volunteers, business people, fiscal wizards, counselors, rowing coaches, drama queens, artists, IT specialists, friends, family, wise mentors, networking colleagues, architects, camp owners, social entrepreneurs, teachers, therapists, college professors, quilters, knitters, community weavers, visionaries and Treehouse community members of all ages. Your contributions make Treehouse, Camp To Belong MA, Sibling Sundays, and all the changes I envision possible.

We know what happens when 25,000 young people “age out” of foster care without enduring family or community connections. We know what happens when we scoop up 3 week old babies and give them the best possible care. Imagine if that was America’s new policy! It can happen. All it requires is for us to become invested in better outcomes for all of our nation’s children.

Today I was given an amazing gift. The kind of gift that takes your breath away…. The gentleman who gave me the gift is Alan Khazei, co-founder of City Year and founder of Be The Change/Service Nation. Mr. Khazei, an inspirational social entrepreneur, has been one of my heroes for the past 10 years. Today at a rally in the Boston Common Alan formally announced that he would run for Ted Kennedy’s senate seat. My gift came at the end of his announcement speech.

Alan has visited us at our Treehouse Community in western Massachusetts. Treehouse was on Alan’s What Works Tour – a tour of successful Massachusetts programs that Alan would like to take with him to Washington for replication. He understands the value of creating multi-generational communities that support families who are adopting children from the foster care system. He appreciates the strategy of asking people of all ages to become part of a re-envisioning of foster care. Like me, he would like to see Treehouse Communities built all across the country. Like me, Alan believes that citizen led initiatives are powerful tools for change.

Alan is an innovative thinker who envisions new realities and then works hard to make them happen. I remember when Time magazine named him one of the “Top 50 Leaders Under 40”. Alan and his wife, Vanessa Kirsch of New Profit Inc. have dedicated themselves to developing innovative solutions to social problems for almost 20 years. These two leading social entrepreneurs have collaborated with citizens, legislators, philanthropists, business leaders, social entrepreneurs and Presidents to bring much needed change to communities across America.

Alan worked side by side with Senator Kennedy to craft the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act that President Obama signed in April. The Act is considered to be a milestone for the national service movement. More importantly, it offers up a new public philosophy that encourages America to look to its entrepreneurs and innovators in both the public and private sectors for creative solutions to our most pressing social needs.

Alan’s keen intelligence, combined with an outstanding ability to bring people together and move them forward is awe-inspiring. At today’s rally a City Year alum spoke about the power of Alan’s approach to national service and youth empowerment. His leadership skills, combined with a deep dedication to making this country stronger, make Alan an outstanding candidate for our next Massachusetts state senator.

At the end of his announcement, Alan spoke about the need for Big Citizenship. He spoke about the need to look to what has always been America’s greatest natural resource – We the People. He reminded us that it has always been citizens that have led great change in America. He encouraged people to become engaged. Then he shared my story – the story of one woman’s personal journey from ordinary citizen to social entrepreneur, inspired by the children she loves and finds worthy of her investment.

In doing so he honored our children experiencing foster care. He extended his hand and said, “You are on the right track. You are motivating people to transform foster care.” It was a generous and kind act. In that moment Alan Khazei blessed my life and my vision. He gave me hope. Hope for my dreams, hope for my Big Citizenship ideas, and hope for our children.

Thank you Alan! Here’s to a whole host of new realities and opportunities for our young people in foster care and their peers throughout the Commonwealth. Here’s to a whole host of new citizen led initiatives that strengthen the lives of all of us who live in America! Here’s to you!

I remember that “Aha Moment” 10 years ago, as I stood in my toy store pondering a comment that a well-educated customer had just made about “throwaway kids” in our country. It’s a freeze frame moment: I am standing by the Lego section, 5 month old baby asleep in her Baby Bjorn carrier with her little head resting on my chest. My head is nodding slowly as I talk to myself. “ You know the real challenges children who have been placed in foster care face. You need to make a choice. Will you create new outcomes for this beautiful baby, her siblings and her peers in foster care? Do you have the courage to create new realities for our nation’s most vulnerable kids?”

The question that Marshall Ganz of the Kennedy School would have asked me would probably have been a bit different. I imagine he would have looked at me and queried, “Will you create a story of hope?” Ganz, a lecturer in public policy at Harvard has written, “A story of hope begins with the recognition that an urgent challenge can become a moment of choice.” It is that moment when we feel a current reality being replaced with new options and a sense of promise.

Ganz states, “By turning a bad, hopeless or overwhelming situation into a moment of choice, we have given the moment real significance. We are now in the midst of a new story.” Before we may have been resigned to an inevitable fate. When we are touched by a story of hope, we are moved to consider new possibilities. Stories of hope are created when we decide to make the right choices and take action toward shaping our desired future.

Since that day in the Lego section I have worked with fabulous teams of people to create stories of hope through my work with the Treehouse Foundation and Sibling Connections. The result: Many lives are being enriched, blessed, and honored. Together we have chosen to become members of a group of leading edge thinkers and doers who share a collective identity that helps each of us feel supported in the risks we take as we transform our communities and the nation!

//see more photos of ctb in the photo gallery

Our 5th season of Camp To Belong MA was a HUGE success!

80 campers and 55 volunteer counselors showed up in the Berkshires to help create joyous shared memories for sisters and brothers who have been separated when placed in foster care.

Check out these photos! You can feel the connection and happiness that was floating around camp all week long. On Friday morning I woke up realizing that the reason CTB MA feels so special is that all of us, kids and adults alike, spend time blessing one another’s lives – on the basketball courts, the banana boats, the trapeze, the climbing wall, the pool, the lake, the dining hall, and beyond.

We sang, danced, played and honored one another in the best ways possible. It was a win-win for us all. CTB MA volunteer counselors range in age from 20 – 65. They come from all walks in life. They come from all across the country to create new realities for siblings whose lives have been impacted by foster care. Some counselors are foster or adoptive parents. Some are social workers. Most have simply raised their hands and said, “I can help!” Please consider raising your hand and supporting young people experiencing foster care in your community. There are so many ways to share your expertise!

One of my favorite summer activities is sitting under the shade of a leafy green tree at the Barn, watching two beautiful young girls who I love ride their favorite horses. These sisters have adored horses since they were babies. To watch them riding with such skill, grace, and focus warms my heart.

Recently a woman approached me to say she had heard that I became a full time child advocate “because I was angry at the child welfare system for failing children who have been placed in the public foster care system.”

While that could be someone else’s motive, it wasn’t mine. I certainly learned important lessons about the child welfare system when we became a foster family but anger was not the root cause for my decision to become a social entrepreneur.

Here’s the truth. I established the Treehouse Foundation and Sibling Connections from a place of love. Two beautiful baby girls were placed in our home. I fell in love with them instantly. They were so full of life. Their potential was palpable. I wanted to bless their lives.

As I stood in the doorway of the child welfare offices with a child on each hip, it became clear to me that the best way to honor their lives and the lives of their siblings and peers in the foster care system was to collaborate with other out-of-the-box thinkers to create fabulous new programs full of color, whimsy, joy and connection.

I considered becoming a full time foster parent for a minute but quickly realized that I would only be able to have a positive impact on a relatively small number of children. A short time later it became clear to me. I needed to get out in the world and do what I do best: create new programs that invite people of all ages to help transform the way we think and act toward our nation’s children who have been placed in foster care.

My decision came from a place of love. It’s a life decision that I fully embrace. It’s a pleasure to be working with such fabulous people at Treehouse and Sibling Connections who are dedicated to building innovative organizations, communities and programs that inspire a re-envisioning of foster care.

I look forward to doing more. It is a pleasure to bless the lives of the children I love and respect. Especially these two young girls on horseback who have taught me so much over the past 10 years!

In a recent interview Marion Woodman, Jungian analyst and author, asks what meaning human life has if nobody has ever seen you.

Ask yourself: As a child who saw you? Who heard you? Was there anyone with who you could be totally yourself and to whom you could trust your heart responses and speak your soul responses. Someone who made you think, Gosh, I am somebody. They’re happy I’m here.

She goes on to say, “Love is the real power. It’s the energy that cherishes. The more you work with that energy, the more you will see how people respond naturally to it, and the more you will want to use it. It brings out your creativity, and helps everyone around you flower. Your children, the people you work with – everyone blooms.”

When it comes down to it, life is about showing up. Showing up for the people you care about, again and again, until you can’t show up anymore. Creating new realities for children who have experienced foster care is about showing up too. Every day on Treehouse Circle children who have experienced foster care are surrounded by adults who show up and demonstrate that they are truly invested in their well-being, their daily lives, and their futures.

Showing up is a simple concept.
At Treehouse kids who have been placed in foster care live in a beautiful neighborhood where they are surrounded by caring adults who show up every day to offer them life-long families, safety, stability, security, and support. It’s truly that simple.

Treehouse is dedicated to creating new realities for young people whose lives have been impacted by foster care. It’s about connecting kids to caring people, stellar resources, and new opportunities.

Imagine That! Instead of statistics that shout “Outcomes for youth who have been in the public foster care system are dismal!” we could replace the homeless, incarcerated, unemployed, and at-risk outcomes with life in Treehouse Communities where kids are surrounded by life-long families and invested community members who help them heal, establish safe & trusting relationships, and imagine a future filled with new possibilities.

Follow the Treehouse example. Show you care. Show up!
Treehouse …
• Family
• Community
• Support
• Positive life-long connections
• New life opportunities
• Lives well-lived
• Creating new realities for kids who experience foster care in America!

Treehouse – a model that’s worth investing in!

People are always asking me where the name Treehouse comes from. I love treehouses. They represent a childhood icon that brings a smile to the young and the young at heart. A treehouse is a place you climb up into; a place where you can find a new perspective – a more expansive view. It’s a place where you gather with friends, feeling safe and cozy, where you can dream and imagine all of life’s possibilities.

That safe cozy feeling is what those of us who live, work, and dream at the first Treehouse Community experience every day. Here, together, we’ve been given an opportunity to begin envisioning another way to nurture our children who
have experienced foster care.

Since June 2006, over 100 people, ranging in age from 4 – 90, have been living, working, and playing on Treehouse Circle. For the past three years we have been getting to know one another and in the process families and a vibrant community are being built. Relationships are being forged. Lives are changing.

At Treehouse, children with foster care histories are being surrounded by people who care about them and are actively investing in their lives. They have families, friends, and a neighborhood full of people who are wishing them well. Every day. They show up at high school graduations, school science fairs and tea parties. They help with homework, attend performances, bake cookies, and share birthday cakes.

As we enter our third year we can see that Treehouse is becoming the Center of Innovation it is meant to be. We are collaborating with partners throughout the region to weave a colorful tapestry of connections, inviting people of all ages to participate in our unique Treehouse programming. Together we are building new safety nets for children, families & elders.

More importantly, as children’s lives are being infused with caring people, they are beginning to dream. They are learning not to settle quietly for the way things were, for the way they were certain things would always be. Instead, they are dreaming of choices, options, and possibilities. And we, the adults in their lives, are there to help them explore those opportunities.

We thank all of our fabulous partners for making Treehouse a reality. We appreciate all of the wonderful donors, both individuals and foundations, who find the work that Treehouse is doing worthy of your financial support. With your continued help we will continue to honor and respect all of our children by providing them with life-long families and community connections.