Another Lap Around the Sun: Reflections at 55

David participated in the Healing Hearts 2022 Walk/Run for Suicide Prevention.

This is David Channer, CEO at A Better Way. On May 10th, I turned 55 - completing one more lap around the sun. I took a moment to reflect on things. May is a special month to me for other reasons. It’s Mental Health Awareness Month and National Foster Care Month – two issues that matter deeply to me. I’ve now spent well over 50% of my life working to improve services at the intersection of Foster Care and Mental Health Care. And I have been lucky enough to have spent over 75% of that career working at A Better Way.

Numbers and percentages matter. It matters that today there are nearly 400,000 children in Foster Care nationwide and 60,000 in California. It matters that up to 80 percent of children in foster care experience significant mental health issues, compared to about 20 percent of the general population.

These numbers are a call to action. What really matters is that behind every number is an individual human being in need. And connected each of those individuals is a family and a community that has met hard times. How we care for children, for families, and communities is what matters.

A Better Way has had the honor of providing no-cost mental health services to over 500 children per year. 500 individuals ranging from newborns to 21 years olds. Our foster care program ensures that every child has a safe and loving home. Our Parent Advocacy programs offer birth parents the support and advocacy they need to pursue reunification. And our training program offers over 5,000 hours of no-cost training per year to help people around the Bay Area to understand the needs of children in foster care. Together these programs offer a tapestry of hope and renewal.

I want to say thank you. Thank you to the AMAZING staff of A Better Way. Thank you to all of our supporters. And thank you to the children, youth, and families who trust us to walk along side you.