You Gotta Believe! The Older Child Adoption & Permanency Movement, Inc.

Founded in 1995, You Gotta Believe (YGB) is one of the few organizations in the country that limits its practice to finding permanent parents and families for young adults, teens, and pre-teens in the foster care system. Based in Coney Island, YGB works with older youth in foster care in NYC and Long Island and utilizes an intensive, youth-centered approach to connect the youth with parents/families. YGB also recruits prospective parents and offers the Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP) classes throughout the year in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Long Island; these classes cover the gamut from the psychosocial needs of children in care to the documentation required for certifications. YGB is working to expand the MAPP classes into other boroughs.