How We Care

Your support can make a difference. By embracing the Slave Free ethos of Hope Army, you're not just wearing clothes; you're wearing hope. Join the movement, be a part of the change, and let's fashion a brighter, more ethical future together.

Joining the Hope Army is more than a commitment; it’s a pledge to stand by a cause that seeks to rewrite the narratives of children lost in the shadows of the foster care system.

Balenciaga's recent campaign sparked outrage for blatantly sexualizing children, but this is not an isolated event. This is not a fluke. This is representative of a widespread movement towards sexualizing children and normalizing pedophelia, and it’s time for us to wake up and put a stop to it.

Systems are not in place to effectively care for foster youth while they are in the system, nor to put them in a position for successful independence when they leave the system. Aging out should not be an option for foster youth who have not been prepared to care for and support themselves. The outcomes speak volumes.

I’ve had my breath taken away a time or two in this privileged life I’ve been given! As a child, I remember being outside on very frigid Michigan winter days, and the whipping wind would actually take my breath away. Standing on the sledding hill that we called "Bald Mountain", I struggled to inhale. As I trudged through the snow, hauling a sled (that was usually bogged down with a sibling or two), I remember feeling breathlessness, and pulling up my scarf so that my inhales would be filtered through the warmth of the damp wool.

The playful, whimsical experiences that make up childhood open us up to the fullness of life; they help us learn, grow, and build self-confidence. Children from hard places miss out completely on this important aspect of development, living instead in a constant state of fight or flight. Redeeming childhood for these kids has a profound impact on self-confidence and self-worth, and it even helps undo the negative physical impact of trauma.

When most people think of the relationship between money and foster care, they think of abusive families taking in kids simply for financial gain. I can’t speak to how often that happens, but I can say it only scratches the surface of the damage greed does to our children in foster care.There is an entire industry that thrives off of neglecting our most vulnerable children.

For Child Protective Services, implementing social distancing measures means much more than simply closing up shop or adopting new operational protocols...it means balancing public health precautions with the even more immediate threats to health and well-being faced by the children they serve.