When a young person enters foster care, their phone is often one of the few things that moves with them. FosterPower is built around that fact. It is an AppPresser built app that puts plain language information on benefits, protections and legal rights in Florida foster care in their pocket, rated 5.0 on the App Store.
Who is behind the app
FosterPower is a program of Bay Area Legal Services, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm in Tampa, Florida. It began as a printed Know Your Rights guide and grew into a website and app. Its awards include the 2024 Michael Mills InnovAction Award and a 2024 American Legal Technology Award for Access to Justice.
What FosterPower does
The sheet description puts it simply: the app explains everything you need to know about your benefits, protections and legal rights. Legal topics become short, friendly sections with bright illustrations, and each one can show the law behind it.
Key features
- Rights 101 and All About Court
- Independent Living services organized by age
- Placement, Medical Health, Mental Health and Education
- LGBTQ+ protections
- Money, including allowance, benefits and trust accounts
- Immigration and Human Trafficking
- Scrappy Tips that coach youth to speak up for themselves
- A video library of former foster youth and search
Screenshots
Who it is for
- Youth in Florida foster care
- Caregivers, caseworkers, guardians ad litem and attorneys who support them
FosterPower offers legal information, not legal advice, and encourages youth to talk to an attorney if they think their rights are being violated.
Platforms and downloads
FosterPower is available on iPhone and iPad and Android. It first appeared on the App Store on May 2, 2023. Ratings: 5.0 on the App Store (13 ratings); 4.2 on Google Play (19 ratings).
Want an app like this?
If your organization runs on WordPress, your site can power an app like this one, with every update flowing to iPhone and Android. Tell me about your project and I will get back to you with next steps.
Project leadership by Brian Messenlehner.
