Animal-Assisted Healing for Foster Youth

Support for foster and systems-impacted youth

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

We're acutely aware of health, social, and economic disparities spanning race, ethnicity, geography, and income – with foster youth often at the intersection of these interconnected issues. Foster youth face trauma and instability, leading to significant mental health challenges. This program commits to the principle that all foster youth deserve access to mental health care and holistic healing, regardless of financial constraints. By offering cost-free programs, we address accessibility challenges tied to traditional therapy. Leveraging animal-assisted therapy, we foster inclusivity and break barriers to essential healthcare. Emotional and psychological support from animal therapy bridges gaps between underserved communities and mental health care, reducing health disparities and democratizing holistic healing.

This program stands as an alternative mental health service for foster and systems-impacted youth. Traditional talk therapy is not effective for everyone: many foster youth don’t have the vocabulary to speak about their trauma, lack the desire to, or are nonverbal. Others can not access traditional therapy due to issues like provider shortages, cultural stigma, lack of transportation, and more. Our program provides an alternative, pro-bono healing experience in a safe space. The activities and duration are tailored to participants’ needs and abilities, and each session consists of two hours of engaging and enriching activities that foster emotional and mental well-being, health, and personal development. Participants engage in planting vegetable gardens, which imparts valuable lessons in nurturing and responsibility. Contributing to barn projects further imparts a sense of purpose, accomplishment, and self-awareness, and sessions with our therapy animals foster emotional comfort, leadership, compassion, and trust. While connecting with animals and seeing themselves in their stories, participants feel understood. They witness the animals' capacity to heal and forgive and cultivate that healing within themselves. Beyond an alternative mental health service, we strive to help youth build confidence, learn responsibility, develop leadership skills, practice speech and motor skills, cultivate empathy, healing, and forgiveness, and provide tools to manage stress and anxiety.

From October 2024 to 2025, we will offer therapeutic visits to The Gentle Barn, aiming to reduce trauma-related symptoms in children and youth served by Fostering UNITY, particularly those in the Placement Stability Unit of DCFS. Success will be measured by family participation, pre- and post-experience surveys, and follow-up stories. This initiative aims to position LA County as a leader in mental wellness for foster youth. By integrating animal-assisted therapy into broader mental health initiatives, we envision creating a sustainable program that serves over 1,000 clients of Fostering UNITY and foster youth countywide through community collaboration and securing additional funding to scale the program. Our long-term goal is to make holistic healing accessible, reduce health disparities, and foster a supportive community for all foster youth. This effort will transform LA County into a model of compassion, leading to a healthier, inclusive community for all youth.

To ensure the success of our Animal-Assisted Healing for Foster Youth program, we have meticulously prepared by implementing several strategic measures. First, we developed a comprehensive evaluation approach, incorporating pre- and post-program surveys to accurately measure growth in key areas such as empathy, leadership skills, and self-awareness. We also established tracking systems to monitor participant retention and engagement, allowing us to promptly identify and address any issues. By partnering with Fostering UNITY, we gain valuable insights into participants' progress, ensuring sustained impact beyond the program duration. We will track participant retention and engagement by monitoring retention rates and participation levels and measuring the percentage of groups that complete the program and stay active. Tracking the percentage of partners providing post-program updates on participants' well-being will help assess the program's long-term impact on their lives.

The Gentle Barn will host the program at our sanctuary in Santa Clarita, providing trained therapy animals, staff facilitators, program supplies, insurance, trash collection, and port-o-potties. Fostering UNITY will bring their clients to the program, tapping into their vast, diverse network of foster youth and caregivers in need. Fostering UNITY also will facilitate the distribution and collection of pre-and post-session surveys and video interviews to measure and report on this program’s impact.