An Independent Living Arrangement
Fostering Acadia (a licensed child-placing agency) is an independent living arrangement that was created to provide individuals, communities, and localities quality services focused on connecting youth to supportive and transitional living services. We seek to empower youth with lasting relationships within the community and to facilitate an opportunity to set and achieve personal goals through collaborative service planning. Fostering Acadia provides a variety of services addressing specific identified life domains through individualized treatment. Fostering Acadia focuses on equipping youth with the skills necessary to continue the life-long process towards increased self-sufficiency.
PERMANENCY PROJECT
Providing natural community supports that offer the availability of permanency.
Many youth within the foster care system have few positive connections that they can rely on while in an independent living program or after aging out of care. A much-needed service for our foster youth is connecting them with natural supports within the community that can continue being there for them while in care and after.
Fostering Acadia aims to address this issue of permanency by utilizing families, couples, and individuals looking to serve as volunteers through the Permanency Project. Each youth that comes into Fostering Acadia will have the opportunity to participate in the Permanency Project and be connected with a natural community support. These volunteers offer youth a natural community connection with the benefit of providing additional support. Permanency Project volunteers are official volunteers through Fostering Acadia that undergo background checks, orientation, and routine training.
If you have additional questions about the Permanency Project or would like more information on becoming a volunteer, please contact our Community Relations Director Andrea Edmunds.
ABOUT US
Jason Brown​
Founder/Executive Director:
Jason has served in the foster care/mental health field for over 14 years. Jason was a guest speaker at the 2011 state CASA conference on the topic of older youth in foster care and IL programs. Jason has a Master's Degree in Human Services Counseling with a Cognate in Crisis and Trauma. Jason and his wife Rebekah have been foster parents for over 7 years to older youth in foster care and have 3 biological children. Jason is active in helping older youth in foster care find permanency and natural community supports.
Rebekah Brown
Quality Assurance Director:
Rebekah has 12 years of experience working in the foster care/mental health field. She has served in various capacities in the field, including policy writing, case work, residential facility direct care, fostering, and in home support for families. Rebekah is passionate about ensuring youth have services available to them that are accessible, individualized, and exceptional. Rebekah also serves as the Parent Coach for Fostering Acadia.
Andrea Edmunds
Community Relations Director:
After starting her career in public service as a victim/witness advocate, Andrea went on to enjoy a career as a successful business owner, entrepreneur, and networker. Along the way, she and her husband, Andy, have raised 5 children; including 2 adopted teenage boys from Ghana. The blessings of adoption drew her back into public service where she now brings her passion, contacts, and experience all together in support of older youth in foster care. Andrea also oversees the Permanency Project at Fostering Acadia.
Taylor Hayes
ILA Staff Supervisor:
Taylor has served at risk and special needs children and families for the past 8 years. She has worked in various capacities including in the home, school, group care facilities, and as a foster parent. Taylor is currently pursuing her bachelor's degree in psychology; crisis counseling. Taylor is passionate about connecting with youth in their interests and hobbies. Taylor believes that all foster youth deserve a strong support system filled with people they trust.
REFERRALS & RATES
Fostering Acadia provides individualized services with three levels of care for youth in foster care ages 17-21. Fostering Acadia also provides services for mothers with child(ren) or fathers with child(ren) seeking an independent living arrangement. As each youth progresses in his or her treatment plan, the level of care can be assessed in collaboration with the Fostering Acadia case manager and the foster care worker/legal guardian. Please click on the link below labeled "Rates & Services" to get a detailed description of our levels and services.
If you want more information or are interested in referring a youth to Fostering Acadia, please check out the links below and contact:
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e-mail: jason@fosteringacadia.org
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