Foster Care Agency Celebrates 10 Years of Mentoring Kids

ALPHARETTA – Connections Homes, an Alpharetta-based non-profit that bridges the gap for youth who have aged out of foster care by connecting them with mentoring families, proudly celebrates its 10th anniversary today. Alongside this significant milestone, CEO Pam Parish unveils her insightful new book, Redemptive Connection, to inspire parents, caregivers, and mentors to navigate the often-difficult transition from the late teens into early adulthood with their youth.

Since its inception in 2014, Connections Homes has paired 370 youth with mentoring families, providing these young adults with a vital adult presence during their critical transition from foster care to adult interdependence. “The mentorship provided by Connections Homes offers a lifeline for these young adults, transforming their changes for a better future,” said Parish.

“I think it is extremely important to surround yourself with people who support and encourage you to pursue your dreams,” said Megan Barber of Columbus. “I was at my lowest point in my life when Connections Homes came into my life. My mentoring family made it possible for me to go back to school and get my college degree.”

The 10th anniversary of Connections Homes coincides with the release of Parish’s fourth book, Redemptive Connection. This groundbreaking guide offers a robust framework for mentoring, enriched by Parish’s extensive experience and heartfelt stories from the front lines of foster care and adoptions, specifically with older teens and young adults. “This book is essential for anyone dedicated to helping these young people heal as they transition into adulthood,” Parish said.

Lynn A. Johnson, former Assistant Secretary, Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, praises the book, saying it “meticulously unpacks the trauma stemming from abuse, neglect, and unstable childhoods providing step-by-step insight that encourages introspection and the capacity to foster healing in others.”

Annually, over 700 youth age out of Georgia’s foster care system. Without the guidance of a mentor or a safe, stable adult relationship, many face homelessness, criminal involvement, addiction, or persistent poverty. Connections Homes, through the application of the principles taught in Redemptive Connection, not only addresses these challenges but also offers parents and mentors a compassionate roadmap for creating lasting impacts in the lives of these young adults.

“Redemptive Connection is a profoundly insightful guide for parents navigating the complexities of children transitioning into adulthood, especially those with trauma histories,” said Tera Melber, Founding Director of Resound Trauma Education, LLC.

To learn more about Connections Homes and its mission in Georgia, Texas, and Tennessee in pairing kids who have aged out of the state’s foster care system with mentors, go to: https://connectionshomes.org/.