About Us
Mission
Beyond Foster Care is a community-driven organization dedicated to uplifting the narratives, strengths, and resilience of individuals with foster care experience. We connect young adults to mentorship, resources, and supportive networks that foster personal growth, educational attainment, and career success.
Vision
We envision a future where foster youth and former foster youth are empowered to define their own narratives, pursue their passions, and realize their full potential. We strive to cultivate communities where young people are understood, valued, and supported, and where their experiences are recognized not as limitations, but as sources of strength, resilience, and excellence.
Founder story
Kayla Murillo
Founder & Executive Director
Beyond Foster Care was founded by Kayla Murillo, a former foster youth, nonprofit leader, and advocate dedicated to expanding opportunities for young people with foster care experience.
Her journey in foster care began, at the age of ten, at a point where her mother’s immigration status and mental circumstance intersected. These experiences inspired a lifelong commitment to creating spaces where foster youth are connected to resources that enable their ability to pursue their passions and full potential.
Kayla earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and Chicana/o/x Studies from UCLA and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Management at the University of Southern California. Her professional experience spans mentorship, college access, resource navigation, and program leadership supporting foster youth across Southern California.
Through Beyond Foster Care, Kayla seeks to build a community of care where young people can access opportunities, cultivate meaningful relationships, and share their stories with confidence, helping them move beyond survival and into opportunity.
Meet the board
- Travon WilliamsSecretary
- Khalil SmallTreasurer
How we support youth
Access. Belonging. Connection.
Through mentorship, resource navigation, and storytelling, we empower current and former foster youth to build brighter futures, strengthen community, and realize their full potential.