As a foster and adoption social worker, Patricia Kasper wanted to understand why so many children in the foster care system fall between the cracks. A lifelong learner, she ultimately dove into the study of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, or FASD, which affects 5% of the general population, but up to 70% of youth in foster care. Indeed, Patricia learned that 80% of youth with an FASD are not raised by their parents, and that 86% are either un- or mis-diagnosed.

The training Patricia took was revolutionary, as not only did it explain why so many children and youth have been failed, as well as why foster families are so ill-prepared to meet their needs, but it also revealed to Patricia that she herself was impacted by prenatal exposure to alcohol. FASD, a physical disability with behavioral symptoms, is rarely diagnosed, even though it is the #1 preventable cause of developmental, learning and intellectual disabilities world-wide, affecting more people than Autism Spectrum, Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida and Downs Syndrome combined.