the children are the future
Our Mission
Over the past ten years, fostered youth numbers have averaged approximately 636,000. These are children that range from all ages and ethnic backgrounds. Each one of these children placed in foster care deserve a chance to discover themselves. Leave The Light On is a nonprofit organization offering fine arts to children in the foster system. Our goal is to offer a little light during an unfamiliar and sometimes scary part of life. This organizations strives to offer free lessons for sixteen weeks to these young children. We offer a range of lessons such as voice, piano, photography, art, and poetry. From Orange County to Gamecock Territory and every state in between, we will make sure that your fostered child feels like they can change the world! We plan to grow as much as possible within the next year. Every child deserves a chance to find themselves. Here at Leave The Light On, children can come and find that little light inside them and nourish it to create something wonderful.
Meet the Team
Jo Hansen
FounderJo Hansen
FounderDespite her many directorial duties, founder Jo Hansen finds joy and inspiration teaching fine arts lessons.
Kristy Lightsey
Fine Arts LessonsKristy Lightsey
Fine Arts Lessons
Morgan Owen
Grant Writer & EditorMorgan Owen
Grant Writer & Editor
Greer Arcomona
Fine Arts LessonsGreer Arcomona
Fine Arts Lessons
Savannah Sanchez
Photography TeacherSavannah Sanchez
Photography Teacher
Rin Gunn
Public Relations/Fine Arts LessonsRin Gunn
Public Relations/Fine Arts Lessons
Daphne DeSena
Public Relations/Fine Arts LessonsDaphne DeSena
Public Relations/Fine Arts Lessons“I found my college journey to be difficult until Jo offered me a purpose for what I do.”
Anna Swearingen
Admin/Fundraising CoordinatorAnna Swearingen
Admin/Fundraising CoordinatorGetting to be a supportive & influential force in these kids' lives is an incredibly rewarding experience, and we truly want these kids to thrive & succeed.
Why do this?
Statistics from National AFCARS
The statistics below are from the Adoption and Foster Care Report System or AFCARS for short. There are approximately 636,000 children in the foster system as of September 30th of 2021. On this date each year, the new fiscal year starts, and these numbers change. The average entry number is 265,000 children a fiscal year.
As you begin looking at this file, you’ll notice that 58% of these children in the foster system are an ethnicity other than Caucasian. With the average stay being 21.7 months, 44% of these children are placed with a non-relative. So, a foster child could stay in the system with a family they don’t know for almost two years.
This organization aims to advocate for these children via creative outlets. All too often, fostered youth are overlooked in America. Our job at “Leave The Light On” is to shed some light on the foster children around the United States as well as offer a light at the end of the tunnel for these children. The hope for this organization is that these children find their lights and continue to make the world a better place by sharing that light with others