Connections curates relationships between youth in New York City’s child welfare system and volunteer mentors. We work in partnership with agencies throughout NYC to identify young people with few or no connections and pair them with adult volunteers who serve as role models and advocates, teaching the youth how to build a healthy relationship while supporting them to achieve their goals. Connections is unique in that we stick with the youth for a minimum of one year, regardless of whether they change placements, living situations, or transition completely out of the system. We have found that this model works – young people develop long-term relationships with a positive adult who genuinely cares about them, increasing their own sense of self-worth.