If you're wondering how to make a difference in the lives of children in foster care, or foster youth aging out of care, supporting FAFS' privately-funded foster children programs is a great way to start.

Foster and Adoptive Family Services' NJ foster children programs give foster kids & youth the opportunity to live happier and more productive lives, allowing them to become self-sufficient adults. All of FAFS' programs for foster children receive no financial support from the State or Federal Government; they can only be offered through the generosity of caring people like you. FAFS' Foster Children Programs include:

Private Scholarships & Grants for Foster Youth & Youth Adopted from Foster Care in NJ

NJ Foster Youth Scholarships & Grants

FAFS' private scholarships & grants for foster youth and youth adopted from foster care in New Jersey provide young men and women with:

• Opportunities to pursue their educational and vocational goals
• Means to purchase necessities for independent living, such as bedding and dishes for a first apartment


• Chances to become successful and self-sufficient adults

Fostering Wishes For Children - Grants for Foster Children

Wish Grants for NJ Foster Children

FAFS' Fostering Wishes for Children program grants wishes for foster children for the "little extras" in life that, often times, the State and foster parents are unable to provide due to financial constraints. One $75 mini-grant is available per foster child in NJ each year. Fostering Wishes for Children:

• Promotes foster children's feelings of belonging by allowing them to take part in class trips, proms, etc.
• Provides opportunities to develop talents that build self-esteem, such as art and music lessons
• Allows NJ foster children to develop physical fitness,team-building and leadership skills through participation in sports

Summer Camp Scholarships for NJ Children in Foster Care

Summer camp scholarships for NJ foster children

FAFS' summer camp scholarships for foster children in New Jersey provide kids with an enriching week-long sleep away camp experience. With activities such as swimming, canoeing, painting and more, the encouraging environment of camp:

• Boosts foster children's self-esteem
• Promotes positive social interaction
• Develops team-building and leadership skills that last long after summer is done

A Holiday Celebration for Every Child

Holiday Celebrations for NJ foster children

FAFS' A Holiday Celebration for Every Child gives NJ foster children the chance to enjoy refreshments, games, and holiday-themed activities. A Holiday Celebration for Every Child:

• Lifts NJ foster children's spirits during a difficult time of the year when they miss their families most
• Helps lessen feelings of isolation and loneliness in NJ foster children by giving them an opportunity to spend time with other children in foster care
• Allows children in foster care who are living in separate homes the chance to reunite with their siblings for a fun-filled holiday celebration

The Backpack Program - Backpacks for NJ Foster Children

Backpacks for NJ Foster Children

FAFS' Backpack Program was born from the images of children being removed from their homes for reasons of abuse or neglect with their belongings placed in trash bags. Today, backpacks for foster children in NJ are given by their foster parents as a gift to welcome foster children into the foster home. The Backpack Program:

• Comforts NJ children in foster care by providing them with personal items such as a stuffed animal to cuddle, new pajamas and school supplies to ease the transition into the foster home
• Helps foster parents bond with children in their care and provides them with essential items they need to bring a child into their home, even in the middle of the night or on a holiday