Natalie Lente

The Mockingbird Society

Our Mission To transform foster care and end youth homelessness. Working in partnership with young people who've lived through the systems we're transforming, we change policies, perceptions, and practices that stand in between any young person and a safe, supportive, stable home. Our Vision Each and every young person, regardless of race and individual experience, reaches adulthood with an equitable opportunity to thrive. The Mockingbird Society works with young people and families to transform foster care and end youth homelessness. We think holistically, creatively, and passionately about meeting society's obligations to children and youth who need out-of-home care. Our advocacy is rooted in the direct experiences and voices of young people who have experienced foster care and youth homelessness. Our youth programs train young people who have experienced homelessness or in foster care to become their own best advocates. By doing so, they change policies and perceptions that stand in the way of every child having a safe and stable home. Our family programs advocate for innovation in the way foster care services are delivered. MOCKINGBIRD FAMILY™ is a foster care model that provides children and families an extended-family network. The program is being implemented around the world, and has been proven to retain foster parents at much higher rates than traditional foster care. By creating supportive systems of care, youth thrive while developing lasting connections to support their successful transition to adulthood. Together, our solutions aim to transform the systems that impact the lives of thousands of children, youth and families in Washington state and beyond.