In 1998, nine year old Toni Reynolds was placed into the Texas foster care system with three of her siblings. Toni lived in 15 foster and group homes before she found her forever home with her adopted mother Cecelia Criner. As Toni matriculated through the Texas foster care system, and after being adopted she faced multiple behavioral challenges, that landed her in a Juvenile Detention center for runaways where she became a three month resident. Due to Toni's experiences in the foster care system, and Texas juvenile department, Toni found her love for youth development and advocacy work for foster youth and alumni. In 2011, Toni graduated from Tougaloo College with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and in 2014 with a Master's degree in Public Administration from Howard University. While attending Howard University, Toni had the opportunity to work in the office of Congresswoman Karen Bass where she would experience child welfare and foster care policy issues from a different viewpoint. Toni participated in the Congressional Foster Youth Shadow Day two consecutive years with the expectation that she would assist in amplifying the voices of foster youth by having them share their stories with their designated Congress member. During her time on Capitol Hill Congresswoman Karen Bass highlighted Toni's RARE success story which gained her the exposure to work with other foster and adoption agencies in the District of Columbia and Maryland area. After Toni's time on Capitol Hill, she then went on to pioneer a White House Initiative where she was given the opportunity to work with some of Washington DC's most vulnerable youth and young adults. She connected over 50 youth to mental health services, employment, education, and an overall healthier life. In 2019, Toni was appointed as Congressional Foster Care Delegate by the National Foster Youth Institute. As a Delegate, she represented thousands of current and alumni foster youth across the nation. She met with members of congress such as Congresswoman Karen Bass and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to share her foster care experience and ideas to help change the child welfare system. Toni's passion and proven work for youth development has given her the platform to change the lives of youth around the DC area and potentially around the world. Toni has helped hundreds of youth find their voice and purpose through self esteem building workshops, mentoring, and life skills activities. In 2019, Toni founded T.C. Mentoring and Consulting LLC located in Washington, D.C. The companies mission is to help at risk youth and young adults find their path in life. The youth are connected to supportive programs, and mentors that will positively change the trajectory of their lives. Toni's network includes a variety of "game changers" such as politicians, entrepreneurs, educators, entertainers, and more. She will be able to connect the youth with a mentor who will provide guidance, support, and the opportunity to create their own RARE success story. Toni enjoys going into high schools, colleges and universities sharing her very challenging but RARE success story. Her audiences have included at risk youth, future social workers, government officials, child welfare agencies, current and potential foster families. She truly believes in the powerful benefits of our youth being connected to mentors and their community. These components are essential for building the foundation which is the ultimate key to a child's success.
Links:
Website: https://www.tcmentoringandconsulting.org/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/tcmentoringandconsulting/
