Utah woman's family connection inspires 25 years of helping kids in foster

MIDVALE — Helping kids in foster care is more than a career for Lindsay Kaeding. It's a mission rooted in her own family.

Kaeding was 11 years old when her parents adopted her baby brother through foster care. She said that experience shaped how she sees the importance of lasting family connections.

"We just knew whether we had him for a day or for his life, that we were just going to pour as much love that we possibly could into him," Kaeding said.

From the front desk to CEO

Years later, just one month after graduating from high school, Kaeding took a part-time job at the front desk of The Adoption Exchange, now known as Raise the Future.

She never expected it to become a career.

"I was never fully intending to stay here. I just, I fell in love with the organization, and I fell in love with the kids and the work," she said.

Twenty-five years later, Kaeding is now CEO at Raise the Future.

How Raise the Future has evolved

The organization was founded 43 years ago and initially focused largely on finding adoptive homes for young children. Over time, Kaeding said its work has evolved to meet changing needs within the child welfare system.

"We continue to ask and we continue to look around and say, 'Okay, where are the gaps in society? Where are our gaps within child welfare, and how can we best support and fill those gaps?'" she said.

Helping older kids find lasting connections

Today, much of Raise the Future's work focuses on older kids, including those who are at risk of aging out of foster care without a permanent family connection.

Kaeding said the goal is to make sure young people have a trusted adult who will remain in their lives long after they leave the foster care system.

"Connection changes everything. Everything," she said.

Kaeding also credits community support for helping the organization continue its work.

"We could not function without our community. We could not function without our community support," she said. "We have amazing people who show up not just for our kids and our families, but for our organization."

During Kaeding's first year as CEO, she said new funding helped move about 40 kids off the organization's waitlist and onto active caseloads.

How Utahns can help

Kaeding said Utahns who want to help do not necessarily have to become foster or adoptive parents.

"There are so many different ways to get involved," Kaeding said. "You can volunteer; you can mentor. You can donate."

More information about Raise the Future and ways to get involved is available at RaiseTheFuture.org.

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