One of iFoster’s greatest assets is our portal of thousands of resources for foster families. Our extensive library of national and local foster care resources is designed to cater to each individual iFoster member.

Resources are selected based on the needs of the iFoster community. Community members tell us what resources and opportunities they most need and are having difficulty getting, and we find the best source for that need and negotiate the best possible deal to add to the portal. All resources are up-to-date, available, and clearly state if any eligibility requirements are needed.

When you become a member, you tell us who you are (caregiver, foster youth, etc.), your location, and other information specific to you so we can provide you with the most relevant resources possible. There is something for everyone.

Foster Care Resource Network

When you log into iFoster’s member portal, one of the first things you’ll see is a “Search All Resources” box.

Within that box are nine primary categories of resources: daily living expenses, technology, recreational activities, K-12 education, post high school, youth employment, health & wellness, child care & parenting help, and advisors & support groups.

Each category contains hundreds of free resources available to our foster care community (of which a single resource can contain thousands of more resources!).

While some resources and discounts are publicly available to anyone, there are dozens of resources for foster youth that you can only receive if you are an iFoster member. We often work with companies to alter their eligibility for programs to accommodate our population.

Let’s dive into a few of the programs that our library of invaluable resources offers.

Daily Living Experiences

Working Advantage Discount Program

The Working Advantage Discount Program is a member-only discount program that connects its members to thousands of discounts. These discounts range from recreational activities (theme parks, shows, concerts, movies) to discounts on rental cars, hotels etc. and offers up to 80% off. Needless to say, this is one of our most popular resources that members take advantage of.

iFoster Get Perks!

iFoster purchased a benefits program called Abenity that has become one of our most favored resources. Similarly to the Working Advantage Discount Program, Abenity also provides impressive discounts on daily expenses and features thousands of markdowns on national and local goods and services.

Health & Wellness

iFoster’s health & wellness resources allow our members to ensure that healthcare is always a top priority.

Low Cost Orthodontics

iFoster is proud to partner with Smiles Change Lives. This program works with doctors all over the country to offer braces for a fraction of the cost.

Their incredibly discounted prices cover all traditional orthodontic treatment for as long as it takes to correct the teeth, in addition to a retainer post-treatment. For foster youth who need braces, but don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on dental care, they can get the smile of their dreams with the help of Smiles Change Lives.

Vision Service Plan

Vision Service Plan brings free vision exams and eyeglasses to children and youth up to the age of 24. This resource is meant for those who are not insured with Medicaid or a private vision insurance company.

However, even for a youth that is insured, but may only be eligible for one pair of eyeglasses per year and their glasses break or their vision worsens, this resource can be life-changing.

Educational Resources

Free Tutoring

The California Library System has so many fantastic resources available, and we are thrilled to partner with them to access their free, online tutoring in math, science, language arts and social studies in both English and Spanish.

Tutors are college professors, college students and professionals with advanced subject-area knowledge. Through the iFoster Portal, students can schedule a virtual class using any computer or mobile device with Internet access, 7 days a week, with no appointment necessary.

Career Cruising

Another one of our popular resources called Career Cruising lives underneath the Advisors & Support Groups category.

This program provides you with the ability to search over 600 careers and 7,500 colleges, find financial aid for colleges and programs you’re interested in, search thousands of currently available jobs near you, and much more.

Our partner agencies often take advantage of this resource to sign up a large number of their kids for this program.

Become A Member For Free

These resources for foster youth in addition to a large network of other programs and services that iFoster offers are instrumental in paving successful futures for our foster children.

Additionally, the government and many other organizations currently do not provide these kinds of resources for kinship families. iFoster, however, caters to kinship families, foster caregivers, foster youth, agencies in the child welfare community, and many more.

If you believe you are eligible to become an iFoster member, join us for free and gain access to thousands of useful resources that can change the lives of the foster care community for the better. Remember: once you are an iFoster member, you have access to these benefits forever!

To become a member of the iFoster community and take advantage of these amazing foster care resources — plus gain a network of trusted foster care allies — register here today.

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