More Than Making the Grade

Best Foot Forward 2026 high school graduating class on the beach

IT’S MEETING NEEDS THAT CAN STAND IN THE WAY OF SUCCESS.

For youth in foster care, succeeding in school can require much more than good teachers, tutoring and determination.

Sometimes it requires a pair of eyeglasses. A dental appointment. Groceries. A ride to school. Personal-care products. Even the opportunity to join an extracurricular activity alongside classmates.

Those are the less visible barriers Best Foot Forward Foundation (BFF) is working to remove for foster care and at-risk youth in Palm Beach County.

Founded in 2010, the Boca Raton-based nonprofit provides individualized educational planning, monitoring, advocacy and support from kindergarten through college.

The need is significant. Nationally, BFF reports that just 46% of youth in foster care graduate from high school and fewer than 3% graduate from college. By contrast, BFF has historically maintained a 100% high-school graduation rate among students participating in its programs.

But years of working one-on-one with students have revealed something important: academic support can only go so far when basic everyday needs aren’t being met.

That’s where Sole Mates steps in.

On Wednesday, October 28, the annual Sole Mates Luncheon at Boca West Country Club will raise funds specifically for critical needs that can easily be overlooked but profoundly affect a student’s ability to succeed.

Proceeds help provide groceries, dental and vision care, gas cards and rideshare credits, personal hygiene products and access to enriching extracurricular activities.

They may not sound like traditional educational expenses. But for a young person navigating foster care without the family safety net many students take for granted, each can remove one more obstacle standing between them and their future.

And there are several ways to help remove those obstacles. Readers can purchase tickets to the Sole Mates Luncheon, make a financial contribution or donate needed items directly to Best Foot Forward. Each is a tangible way to help provide everyday essentials that can make a meaningful difference in a student’s life.

Because putting your best foot forward sometimes begins by making sure you have what you need to take the next step.