When a child enters foster care, they have already lost so much. What they carry is often unseen. Fear. Grief. Trauma that has never fully been understood.

Without taking the time to truly understand their story, children can be mislabeled or moved again. Services can miss the mark. Stability can feel out of reach.

At All Star’s Assessment & Life Skills Center, we begin with safety and understanding.

Located inside one of our foster homes on campus, the Center feels like a real home because it is one. In this warm, welcoming space, our clinical, case management, and psychology teams provide comprehensive trauma assessments and developmental screenings to understand each child’s strengths and needs. From there, we build individualized care plans with the right supports from the start.

“Within this Center, our multidisciplinary team of trauma experts provides assessments to children who have newly entered the foster care system,” said Dr. Kristin Hoffman, All Star Chief Program Officer. “By identifying trauma early and connecting children with services quickly, we don’t just address their symptoms, but change their trajectories and futures.”

In partnership with Safe Children Coalition’s Independent Living team, teens also practice everyday life skills like cooking, budgeting, communication, and self advocacy in this same home setting. They are not just learning skills. They are building confidence.

Here, children are not defined by their trauma. They are supported intentionally and equipped to move forward with hope.