IOFA was invited to contribute an article to the online Perspectives section for this year’s State of the
World’s Children Report. The theme of this year’s report was “adolescence.” Executive Director, Shelby
French, and IOFA Co-Founder and President, Alison Boak co-wrote - Navigating the Road to Adulthood:
The experiences of parentless youth. The article focused on the challenges faced by young people as
they age out of alternative care. A focus of IOFA’s new 3 year strategic plan is the Transitions Initiative:
a comprehensive support and services program for young people leaving or aging out of institutions,
orphanages, foster, and other forms of non-familial care. IOFA is honored to work with UNICEF on
the State of the World’s Children Perspectives feature and is very excited about implementing the
Transitions Initiative in the coming years.

You can read the article here, http://www.unicef.org/sowc2011/boakfrench.php as well as the other
articles included in the UNICEF’s Perspectives online section from individuals such as Senator Tom
Harkin, professional soccer/football player, Emmanual Adebayor, and Her Royal Highness Princess
Mathilde of Belgium.