About Us
Founded by people with lived foster care experience.
Who We Are
FosterStrong is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit led by people with lived foster care experience. Our mission is to create, develop, and maintain the nation’s greatest online and connecting resources for the U.S. foster care community.
We believe in building a space where awareness, healing, and kindness can grow. By combining our personal journeys with professional expertise, we’ve created an inclusive hub that offers mentoring, training, speaking, and consulting -all designed to elevate awareness, inspire change, and connect people with the support they deserve.
Our vision is a stronger, kinder community where those with lived experience lead the way, and young people in and from care know they’re never alone.
Key Areas Of Focus
Our team is always ear-to-the-ground with happenings in the child-serving systems so we can best inform the public, and we also spread awareness through mentoring, speaking events, training, and consulting work.
We are dedicated to enhancing the lives of young individuals as they transition into adulthood and beyond. Our key areas of focus include:
Advocacy & Peer Support
We advocate for the rights and well-being of those impacted by foster care, striving to ensure their voices are heard and their needs are met. Through training and awareness events, we create a network of understanding and empowerment in communities.
Aging Out Supports
We are committed to providing comprehensive assistance to young adults as they age out of the foster care system. We highlight programs offering guidance, life skills training, and mentorship to ensure a smoother transition to independence.
Housing Accessibility
We recognize the importance of stable housing. Our organization advocates identifying safe and affordable housing options for foster youth and alumni, enabling them to build a stable foundation for their future.
Funding for Secondary Education
Education is a pathway to success. We strive to empower foster youth by facilitating access to funding for their academic pursuits, opening doors to opportunities and networks that might otherwise remain out of reach.
Through our unwavering commitment to these core areas, we work to make a meaningful and enduring impact on those impacted by foster care, equipping them with the tools they need to thrive (not just survive!) in adulthood.
FosterStrong Origin Story
From System-Involved to System-Changer by Constance Iannetta
For as long as I can remember, the child welfare system has been part of my family’s story. Generations of my family have been touched by it – sometimes through necessity, often through cycles of trauma and instability that felt impossible to break. Foster care wasn’t just a headline or a statistic to me; it was woven into the fabric of my life.
As a child, I experienced firsthand what it meant to navigate a system built to protect, yet often ill-equipped to heal. My early years were marked by chaos and survival, but they also planted the seeds of grit. I learned to fight for myself, but also carried a responsibility to fight for others who would come after me.
When I aged out of care at 18, I was suddenly on my own – and I struggled. But in those struggles, I found a path forward. I began connecting with other young people just like me, bonded by our shared experiences in the foster care system. From community awareness events to youth-led and alumni-led advocacy groups, I found my people. My tribe. My kin.
It was during this time that FosterStrong first began – not as the organization and resource hub it is today, but as a grassroots community awareness campaign I launched as a young adult. What started as a way to share stories and shed light on the realities of foster care grew as I grew. As I stepped into different lenses -national advocate, foster/kinship/adoptive parent, and child welfare professional – FosterStrong evolved right alongside me, becoming a movement led by people with lived and professional experience.
Along the way, I’ve carried a personal mantra: “If you CAN, you DO.” If you can stand up, you do. If you can speak out, you do. If you can open your heart or your home, you do. That belief has guided every part of my journey – from advocacy, to parenting, to professional work, to building FosterStrong.
When I became a mother, my perspective shifted again. I didn’t just want to survive the legacy my family carried – I wanted to change it. My children became my inspiration to build something new: a legacy rooted not in trauma, but in grit, grace, and gratitude. Grit to face what seemed unmovable. Grace to forgive the past and walk forward without shame. Gratitude for the community and chosen kin who stepped in and reminded me that love is bigger than blood.
FosterStrong is more than an organization – it is chosen kin united by experience and purpose. Together, we are determined to ensure the next generation of children and families doesn’t just inherit the system, but inherits hope.
Honoring Zachary “Zack” Karenchak
Zachary “Zack” Karenchak was more than a founding member of FosterStrong, he was family. As our first Board Treasurer, Zack helped shape the heart and mission of our organization, always reminding us that the voices of youth and young adults with lived experience must remain at the center of change.
Zack began his advocacy journey at just 16 years old while navigating his own mental health challenges. What started as advocating for himself quickly became a lifelong commitment to fighting for dignity, respect, self-care, and meaningful representation for others within foster care and mental health systems.
His work included leadership roles with FosterStrong, Youth MOVE PA, the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Mental Health Planning Council, and countless trainings and community initiatives that empowered young people to use their voices.
Beyond his advocacy, Zack was known for his humor, compassion, and wide-ranging passions. He loved history and politics, participated in Civil War reenactments, visited historic battlefields, and proudly supported Pittsburgh sports teams especially baseball. He also built lasting friendships through gaming communities including Ingress, Politics and War, ORNA, and live-action role playing.
Zack’s impact is woven into the very fabric of FosterStrong. His wisdom, kindness, and dedication continue to inspire the work we do every day. We honor his legacy not only by remembering him, but by carrying forward the mission he cared so deeply about.
Zack will always remain part of the FosterStrong story and forever in our hearts.
Zachary A. Karenchak
May 4, 1989 – Jun 17, 2022
Our Leadership Team's Favorite Quotes
"To laugh often and much: To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you lived. This is to have succeeded."
"Family isn't always blood. It's the people in life who want you in theirs. The one who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile and love you no matter what."
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”
Join the FosterStrong
Board of Directors
Are you passionate about changing the narrative around foster care? Do you have Lived Experience within the Child Welfare system and a desire to help others feel seen, heard, and empowered?
Let’s build something powerful together. Submit your application to become a Board Director.
FosterStrong is looking for dynamic, thoughtful, and committed individuals to join our Board of Directors.
Bring your voice to the table, help shape the direction of our organization, and be part of a movement that centers lived experience and uplifts stories of resilience.
If you’re ready to use your lived experience and skillset to inspire change, we’d love to hear from you!