William Gladden Foundation

Trauma is the middle-name for most young people who enter the child welfare system, and can worsen in placement and when exiting the system. Our mission is to use educational literature to stop this continued distress, thereby improving the placement experiences and adult outcomes of America’s at-risk youth.

More than seven million American boys and girls were victims of abuse or neglect in 2021. Some of these vulnerable and confused youngsters ended up in the child welfare system, where they received foster, residential, juvenile justice and mental health services. Some of these wards of the court will go on to thrive or survive in the system; too many others will not. They are likely to quit school, experience homelessness, abuse drugs, suffer mental health problems, commit crimes and populate prisons. These lost sons and daughters of America deserve better treatment, if they are to succeed. The publications in our library were written to help parents and professionals understand how to change the life trajectory of at-risk youth.