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Yeladim - Fair Chance for Children Lifelong Connections Program

One Steady Relationship Can Change the Course of a Life

“At first, he didn’t believe I would come back. After a few weeks, he quietly asked if I planned to keep visiting. I told him yes. Since then, something in him has relaxed.”
Uri, a relative of Y., a child in residential care

Some children and young adults grow up without family support.
No one comes to their school ceremony.
No one to call after a hard day.
No one steady adult who truly sees them, guides them, or asks, “How are you – really?”

Lifelong Connections is a therapeutic, relationship-based program designed to give children and young adults what they need most: a stable, caring, non-judgmental adult relationship for the long term.

This is a structured, time-bound process that helps participants build the skills needed to create and sustain meaningful relationships. Through therapeutic and experiential tools, they learn to identify positive adult figures who have appeared at different points in their lives – and to strengthen and maintain those connections for the long term.

The program is grounded in a simple, research-backed truth:
One consistent adult who believes in you is the strongest protective factor against loneliness, depression, trauma, and cycles of risk.

Above all, it is the foundation for dreaming – and for building an independent future.

Who Is the Program For?

• Children and teens under guardianship without family support
• Youth in residential care who experience emotional disconnection from adults
• Young adults ages 18–28 who have aged out of care and are navigating life alone

Why It Matters?

1. A Stable Relationship Protects Against Isolation

The consistent presence of just a single adult reduces anxiety, strengthens emotional regulation, and allows a child to feel that someone in the world is truly “theirs.”

2. Personal Connection Builds Self-Worth

When young people understand they are valued not for performance or behavior, but simply for who they are, they begin to believe in themselves.

3. Ongoing Support Builds Independence – Not Dependence

The adult doesn’t do things for them. They guide the way.
This is a relationship that strengthens a young person’s ability to stand on their own.

4. It Is a Critical Protective Factor Against Risk

Research consistently shows that one meaningful adult relationship can foster growth and resilience in children who have experienced trauma and disruption.

Lifelong Connections is the human foundation that supports all preparation-for-independence models.

A young person with a steady adult in their life is more likely to access their rights, stay engaged in therapy, make thoughtful decisions, and face the world with less fear.

At BOOST: National Center for Rights and Independent Living, we provide knowledge and practical tools.
Through Lifelong Connections, we provide a stable presence.
The two supports naturally strengthen one another.

How It Works: A Personalized Process

1. Thoughtful Matching

Each match is carefully tailored, based on a deep understanding of emotional, cultural, familial, and personal needs.

2. Ongoing Professional Support for Adult Connections

They receive training, supervision groups, and practical tools for working with young people who have experienced abandonment, instability, and trauma.

3. A Relationship Built at the Young Person’s Pace

There is no pressure, no performance, no need to prove anything.
Only consistent, respectful, and patient presence.

4. Full Cultural Sensitivity

In Arab, Bedouin, ultra-Orthodox, traditional, and other communities, relationships are built with deep awareness of cultural context.

5. A Connection That Lasts

This is not a short-term project. It is a human network that often continues beyond age 18 – and sometimes well into adulthood.

How It Feels for the Adult Figure

“He used to call only when he was falling apart.
Now he calls to tell me about a good idea he had at work.
That’s when I realized he feels equal.”
Nir, former teacher and now a meaningful adult figure in the life of R., 21

What Children and Young Adults Gain

• A sense of belonging and significance

• Stronger emotional resilience and regulation

• Support through transitions – residential care, military service, first apartment, employment

• The ability to ask for help and sustain healthy relationships

• A greater chance of building a stable, independent life

Want to Make Sure One More Child Has Someone to Turn To?

Your support allows us to create more matches, guide more mentors, and sustain more meaningful relationships.

Donate Now

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