Our Mission
"The mission of the Shelly Rio Foundation (SRF) is to support and encourage the emotional, social, and economic development of emancipated foster youth and to help complete their education, achieve self-sufficiency, and teach basic life-skills. SRF provides services for financial and behavioral management, access to affordable housing, child development services, mentorship, and job training.
We believe that by providing these services, these individuals will develop into healthy, responsible, independent members of society that have positive self-esteem and clarify their values on which to build a successful life."
Our Goal
To provide ongoing support as the emancipated foster youth transition into the next phase of their lives without a traditional family network to rely on.
There is a great deal of support for the benefits of self-sufficiency, inner focus, and life-skills for these young adults. Being a foster child herself, Ms. Rio personally understands the importance of having a support system – emotionally, socially, and physically.
Once foster children reach 18 years of age, they are often forgotten. Foster youth transitioning into adulthood face difficult challenges because they often have no family and lose the minimal benefits that they received as children in the system. Despite their classification as "adults," these emancipated foster youth need ongoing support as they transition into the next phase of their lives without a traditional family network to rely on.
Click to read more about us or how you can help by volunteering.