CARE Leadership – A New Way Forward for Youth, Families, and the Future of Foster Care
Updated: Jan 2
Phil Edwards is a Leadership Educator and Foster Care Advocate, and the creator of the CARE Leadership Framework. He focuses on trauma-informed leadership, foster parenting, and youth development.
It is 2026. A new year is upon us. It is a day filled with light, yet for countless others, it is a day that quietly exposes what is missing. Millions are spending the day without family. They are grieving loved ones who have passed, or others who are incarcerated, separated from the world they want to return to. Shelters, hospitals, and mental health facilities are overcrowded with people who are alone and would love to have someone to call “family.” This is often the experience of many young people who grew up in foster care, stepping into adulthood without a stable place to go, without a support system, and without the reassurance that they matter.
Today, let us speak directly to them, and to everyone who has ever felt unseen on a day when the world celebrates. New Year’s Day is a reminder that every person deserves belonging, dignity, and hope, no matter where they are, where they have been, or what they are facing. This is why the CARE Leadership Framework exists.
What is CARE Leadership?
CARE Leadership is a human centered, trauma informed, future focused framework built for people who lead, support, or raise youth, especially those transitioning out of foster care.
CARE stands for:
C. Clarity. Understanding who you are, what you need, and how to navigate the world with direction, purpose, and confidence.
A. Accountability. Building discipline, ownership, and responsibility, not as punishment, but as empowerment.
R. Resilience. Developing the strength to rise after setbacks, adapt to change, and protect your mental and emotional well being.
E. Empathy. Leading with understanding, for yourself and others, to create healthy relationships and safe spaces.
CARE is not a program. It is not a curriculum. It is a leadership lifestyle for youth, parents, caregivers, educators, and communities that want to see young people thrive.
Why CARE Leadership exists
CARE Leadership was created for one reason. Too many young people leave foster care unprepared, not because they lacked potential, but because they lacked leadership support. Every year, thousands of youth transition into adulthood without a family to call, financial stability, emotional support, a mentor or guide, a roadmap for adulthood, mental health tools, or a sense of identity or purpose.
On December 31st, days after Christmas, an 18 year old foster youth ages out and transitions into independent living. Expecting young people who had to survive childhood to suddenly know how to survive adulthood is not leadership. It is abandonment.
CARE Leadership exists to close that gap, with training, mentorship, coaching, retreats, and practical tools that equip youth and caregivers with what they need to build stable, healthy, confident adult lives.
What young people leaving foster care need for the future
The future of foster care is not simply better placements or paperwork. The future lies in leadership, life skills, and identity development. To support emerging adults from care, they must be equipped with a roadmap for adult life. This includes basic life skills, financial literacy, employment preparation, healthy relationships, and emotional regulation. These must be taught, not assumed.
After leaving foster care, it is essential that they have a sense of belonging. Not necessarily a traditional family, but a community, mentor, or network that says, “You matter, and you are not doing this alone.” Next is mental and emotional resilience. Not through punishment or toughness, but through tools, self awareness, and consistent support.
Imagine a home that uses empowerment instead of pity. Youth from care are not broken. They are capable leaders who simply need someone to walk with them until they can walk on their own. Growth increases when young people are given opportunities that match their potential. Education, career pathways, mentorship, entrepreneurship, and leadership development are all powerful examples of these opportunities.
Young adults leaving care deserve the same things every young adult needs, guidance, support, and people who believe in their future.
A New Year’s message to those who feel alone today
If today feels quiet, if your phone is not ringing, if you are in a shelter, a group home, a hospital, a room by yourself, or locked behind a door you wish you could walk out of, if you are grieving someone you love, if today feels like a reminder of what you have lost instead of what you have, hear this message clearly.
You are not forgotten. You are not too late. You are not alone.
Your story is still developing. Your leadership is still emerging. Your life still matters, deeply. Your presence in this world means something. And someone, even if it is just one person, is rooting for your future.
This is the core of CARE Leadership.
Moving forward: What comes next
In the coming year, CARE Leadership will expand into seminars for caregivers and youth workers, retreats for foster parents and post care youth, life skills workshops for young adults, leadership training for youth in transition, articles, podcasts, and videos that build identity and confidence, and community partnerships that give youth real support.
This work is only beginning, but the CARE Leadership Framework is built on a simple truth.
“When we lead with Clarity, Accountability, Resilience, and Empathy, we can change the future for every young person leaving care.”
A final word
On this New Year’s Day, whether you are surrounded by people or sitting in silence, I hope this message finds you with hope. The world needs who you are becoming. The next generation needs leaders who understand them. And together, we can build a future where no young person enters adulthood alone.
This is CARE Leadership. This is our mission. And this is only the beginning.
Read more from Phil Edwards
Phil Edwards, Leadership Educator and Foster Care Advocate
Phil Edwards is a Leadership Educator, Foster Care Advocate, and creator of the CARE Leadership Framework. With 30+ years of coaching experience, 20 years of foster parenting, and 15 years in post-secondary education, he writes and speaks on trauma-informed leadership, foster parenting, and youth development.
