The Forgotten Initiative: Our Mission for 2025 and Beyond

As 2024 draws to a close, our team is celebrating 13 years of progress while setting our sights on making an even greater impact in 2025.

Every year that we continue to do this work, we’re reminded of how much this outreach matters—not just through the impact we see, but through the conversations, connections, and stories we hear from the people we serve. 

If you’re new to The Forgotten Initiative or curious about the specifics of our mission, you’re in the right place. Today, we’re diving deep into why we started, what we’ve accomplished, and where we’re headed.

Our “Why”

Imagine you’re 7 years old, with everything you own packed into one bag, being dropped off at yet another new home. It’s not your first move, and each time you go somewhere new, there’s one person you’ve learned to trust: your caseworker. 

She knows your favorite stuffed animal, how much you enjoy blueberry pancakes, and the stories behind your scars.

But one day, she’s gone too—replaced by a stranger with kind eyes but no knowledge of your past. 

Over the past decade, ministries have done remarkable work equipping local churches with the resources and insights needed to support vulnerable individuals in the foster care community—from the children to their birth parents and foster families.

But overwhelmingly, one group in this community has continued to remain forgotten: the caseworkers. Take a look at three key data points that demonstrate the challenges these professionals are facing:

1) Unfortunately, many caseworkers feel isolated and alone as they serve. Burdened by heavy caseloads and limited resources, they are leaving their roles after an average of only 2.5 years, often abruptly due to burnout.

2) Caseworker turnover is linked to increased placement disruptions, more time spent in foster care, and even incidents of maltreatment and re-entries into foster care. Imagine the wait that the children impacted by these challenges experience—the endless feeling of being “in-between,” with no guarantee of permanence in sight.

3) One study done in a local child welfare office in Milwaukee County found that children who had one consistent caseworker achieved permanency 74.5% of the time. If they had two caseworkers, that number dropped to 17.5%. In cases where children had six or seven case managers, their permanency rate was 0.1%.

As dire as these circumstances may seem, we have an incredible and untapped opportunity to make a significant difference for our nation’s most vulnerable children by wrapping support around their caseworker. Therefore, our “why” is simple:

Well-supported caseworkers will more effectively serve children.

READ: Why Well-Supported Caseworkers Will More Effectively Serve Children

What We Do

We help churches across America uplift the foster care agencies and caseworkers in their communities through practical, emotional, and spiritual support that’s driven by real, meaningful interpersonal relationships. 

Our work may start with our small but mighty internal team, but our reach extends far beyond the walls of our office to transform the lives of children all over the nation. Here’s how:

1) Our team provides high-quality training and resources for our TFI Advocates. We teach them to be “salt” and “light” by building relationships with caseworkers at the speed of trust. 

2) Our TFI Advocates learn the needs of their local caseworkers so they can advocate on their behalf to churches, and then serve as a guide to the church to help them meet those needs. Local churches want to help, but they don’t always know the best way. Our TFI Advocates bridge that crucial gap.

3) In the communities where our TFI Advocates start local ministries, caseworkers are better equipped to secure the best outcomes for the children and families they serve. 

The truth is, our nation’s foster care caseworkers serve on the front lines of a complex and challenging system.

But instead of being forgotten, isolated, and alone, caseworkers with a TFI Advocate are seen, known, and cared for as they receive:

• Consistent personalized support
• Heartfelt appreciation
• Resources to help their clients in crisis

The importance of what we do is perhaps best illustrated by a simple story shared by one of our recently launched TFI Advocates.

He was helping a caseworker secure a list of practical needs for her clients (things like beds, car seats, and school supplies) when he asked her, “And what do YOU need?”

Her response: “I…have no idea. No one has ever asked me that.” 

LISTEN: What It’s Like Becoming a TFI Advocate

Stories like this remind us that the work we’re doing is crucial—because caseworkers spend years caring for the needs of others while their own often go unnoticed. 

We want to see every caseworker supported by local churches faithfully reflecting the redemptive love of Christ, because well-supported caseworkers will more effectively serve children, leading to better outcomes for everyone. Will you join us?

How You Can Help

Thanks to your support, this year we were able to equip over 50 Advocates with:

• The training needed to implement our ministry model in their communities
• Ongoing coaching
• Intentional community with other Advocates
• Leadership development
• Essential administrative support

Because of our generous donors, all of these resources were provided at no cost to the Advocates, churches, or agencies they serve.

READ: Foster Care Support: 7 Primary Resources The Forgotten Initiative Provides

As 2024 comes to a close, we have a vision that stretches beyond the 50 communities we currently serve. Every day, the need for compassionate, gospel-centered Advocates grows. And as we look to 2025, we’re ready to step into 15 more communities across America.

By 2028, we hope to equip 150 Advocates, ensuring that more caseworkers receive the support they need to create lasting stability for children in foster care. But we simply can’t expand to these new communities or continue supporting our current Advocates without your faithful partnership.

If our mission speaks to your heart, here are three ways you can support our work and help us make an even greater impact:

#1. Give

Each gift you give helps us spread this movement of compassion and gospel-centered support to new places and people.

Here’s how your gift makes a difference:

• $100 per month or a one-time gift of $1,200 allows us to provide a full year of individualized coaching for one Advocate, enabling them to care for and support caseworkers on the front lines.
• $500 per month or a one-time gift of $6,000 helps us raise awareness and recruit more Advocates through resources like The Forgotten Podcast and Just Neighbors, building a larger network of care for children and caseworkers in need.

This year, we’re thrilled to share an exciting opportunity to amplify your impact:

Thanks to the generosity of some ministry partners, every gift you give by December 31 will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $200,000—meaning your support goes twice as far in growing this essential work.

#2. Spread the word

If you’re unable to give in this season, we completely understand. If you have a moment to help us spread awareness by sharing our mission with your friends and family, we would greatly appreciate it.

Even something as quick as sending our website or social media profiles to friends who you think may be interested in our mission would mean the world to us:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Connect with us on Facebook
• Share our donation page
• Share our resources (blogs, podcasts, and more!)

Thank you for considering spreading the word about our work–we are so grateful!

#3. Consider becoming a TFI Advocate

We only open up applications to become a TFI Advocate a few times each year. If you missed our last round, don’t worry—there will be more chances to join us in 2025.

If our TFI Advocate role sounds like something you’d like to take on in your own local community, we encourage you to reach out to us with any questions and stay on the lookout for the next time applications reopen.

With your partnership, we can equip the church to stand in the gap for caseworkers so they can more effectively serve our nation’s most vulnerable children. Together we can make a lasting difference.

To fund the work we’re doing here at The Forgotten Initiative, you can donate here or text “forgotten” to 44321.

Thank you so much for your support—your assistance helps us make more workers, parents, and children in foster care feel seen, understood, and cared for.