During a recent trip to Ocean City, MD, my friend took this photo.



He braved his fear of rollercoasters in order to escort the children at the nonprofit he works at have some fun.



The photo is the perfect personifcation of a man, quite literally, staring his fear in the face.



I'm selling tshirts of this photo in order to raise money for the organization in question, FAN DC.



Each donation of at least 22.00 will purchase you 1 Tshirt. Please designate your size when donating. Please feel free to donate more or less. All proceeds will go to FAN.



FAN has changed the lives of more than 100 teens in foster care since 2006 by providing an after school and summer-time “home base”—a safe and engaging space with supportive staff. For many young people, this is the most consistent home and family that they have known.



More than 1,100 children live in foster care in Washington, DC and many who enter the system are teenagers.





The percentage of those children who spend more than 24 months in the system has grown to 60% in 2012 from just 36% in 2004.





Only 40% of youth are employed upon exiting care. Of those who were employed, 90% earned less than $10,000 per year.





These young people bring a complex array of behavioral and emotional challenges best met through a deep, extended commitment in an intimate setting. Frequently, the child welfare system treats these young people as “problems to be managed,” focusing on what is wrong with youth, rather than what is right. Youth who are relatively “problem free” are largely ignored, without consideration for supporting healthy development and thriving. Many broader programs cannot effectively manage the unique needs of youth in foster care, such as the therapy and visitation appointments, placement changes, and special behavioral support that FAN provides or coordinates. FAN’s programs are truly unique in their ability to support youth in foster care and to meet their specialized needs.

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