The Wonderfund was featured in the most recent volume of the Child Welfare League of America’s Children’s Voice magazine.
Staverne Miller, Commissioner of the Department of Children and Families (DCF), and Lauren Baker, Founder and CEO of the Wonderfund, co-author an article about how the Wonderfund works with DCF to provide life-changing enrichment opportunities for children who have been impacted by trauma.
They share real stories of impact, including the story of Rosa:
When home is not safe, the Wonderfund can make a profound difference for youth like Rosa, who was in and out of foster care for most of her life because her mother couldn’t take care of her. At 16, Rosa was beginning to make some poor decisions, and her social worker was concerned. Speaking about the upcoming February school vacation, Rosa mentioned swimming at the YMCA and maybe even taking a lifeguarding course. The social worker jumped at the opportunity to make that request, and the Wonderfund paid for a vacation week lifeguard certification program for Rosa. She chose what she wanted to do, earned her certification, got a great paying summer job in a healthy environment, and made many new friends. We’d say that the first life this lifeguard saved was her own.
Read full article here.
