Empowering Futures
In fall 2025, Charting Careers launched the Empowering Futures program to serve foster care youth and families throughout the state of Maryland.
Empowering Futures’ mission is to nurture, equip, and empower youth in foster care — and the families who support them — by providing comprehensive access to essential resources, life skills training, mentorship opportunities, and dedicated guidance to help them thrive and succeed.
This initiative was created in response to the unique barriers and transitions that young people in foster care often face, particularly as they navigate education, permanency, and the path to adulthood. Building on Charting Career’s whole-person, relationship-centered model, Empowering Futures ensures that foster youth have consistent support, practical tools, and a trusted community walking alongside them every step of the way.
We are committed to:
Connecting youth and families with vital community resources and support systems
Providing opportunities to cultivate essential independent living skills for successful adulthood
Preparing youth for higher education, vocational training and meaningful employment
Providing personalized mentorship that fosters personal growth, resilience and self-sufficiency, through critical developmental stages
Advocating for the unique needs of foster youth to ensure their voices are heard
Creating a supportive network that extends beyond the foster care system
Through dedication, compassion, and empowerment, we strive to create pathways to bright, self-determined futures for foster youth in our community.
Our Guiding Principles:
Individualized Support: Tailoring our approach to meet the unique needs of each youth
Empowerment: Fostering self-reliance and confidence in decision-making
Inclusivity: Embracing diversity and ensuring equal access to opportunities
Collaboration: Partnering with families, case workers and community organizations
Lifelong Learning: Encouraging continuous personal and professional development
Process
A licensed social worker is available to meet with the youth, their family/caregivers and/or case worker to discuss resources, services, and any other guidance that may be needed.
Empowering Futures provides support and guidance to foster parents to help youth build a foundation for a successful transition to adulthood and independent living. Together, we work on upcoming challenges and ways to partner. Foster families are also invited to attend any of our Family Programming.
We continue to work with and support youth following their transition out of the foster care system and until they are age 24. Alumni from the program will be invited to give back and provide support to current scholars and families.
Staffing
Oversight of the project is provided by Dr. Elaine Reed, DSW, LMSW, a licensed social worker with over 30 years of experience in administration and programming in the mental health and substance abuse fields. In addition to extensive experience working and volunteering with youth and young adults, Dr. Reed was also appointed by the Governor of Maryland to serve on the Citizens Review Board for Children in Anne Arundel County in 2021 and in 2025 to the State CRBC Board to represent Circuit V. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work and Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service.
Existing staff at Charting Careers help support the project and interns in human service programs at local colleges will provide additional assistance.
By connecting youth with resources and ongoing support, we create transition processes that unfold over time and that help young people sustain success upon exiting the child welfare system and establish lasting connections to reduce the risk of negative outcomes. With trained staff and active community engagement, we offer the guidance and support they need to move towards independence and help them develop the essential life skills to help them thrive.
For more information and/or to make a referral please contact, Dr. Elaine Reed, Chief Strategy Officer, at elaine@chartingcareers.org
The Resource Room
The Resource Room, a component of Empowering Futures, provides a welcoming, virtual space for foster parents, resource parents, and kinship caregivers to connect, share, and access helpful supports. Held on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month from 1–2 PM, this drop-in gathering offers peer encouragement, open conversation, and practical resources in a safe, judgment-free environment. Whether you are seeking guidance, community, or simply a space to be heard, The Resource Room is here to walk alongside you.
