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Foster Youth of America Logo

Misty Miotto, Founder and Board Chair

Misty Miotto has been an advocate for Central Florida’s homeless, foster, and orphaned children for over 28 years. She has led several community initiatives and programs that have helped to empower, encourage, and inspire these youth by teaching them virtues, values, important life skills, and self-advocacy. Misty has dedicated her entire adult life to helping hundreds, if not thousands of children in her community. Misty has been nominated for and has won several awards for her advocacy work; including her most recent, the Inspiration Award- a prestigious award given to one person or organization each year by Embrace Families, the lead child welfare agency for Central Florida. In addition to founding Foster Youth of America, Misty is also the Founder and Volunteer Director of the Heart Gallery of Central Florida, established in 2010. The Heart Gallery works in partnership with Embrace Families to find forever families for the specific children in foster care who are available for adoption. They do this by taking professional portraits of the children and placing them on the Heart Gallery website, along with other pertinent sites. They also educate the public on the process and benefits of adopting from foster care, as there are often misconceptions. Misty, who is also a public speaker, is regularly asked to speak at these events, where she shares adoption advice and also her own personal foster and adoption journey. As a local business owner, Misty has been a leader in the event industry for over a decade and has built several long-lasting relationships with other like-minded businesses and organizations that share in her desire to help Central Florida’s most at-risk youth. Through these partnerships she has received thousands of dollars’ worth of in-kind donations which have supported several of her youth events and group efforts; including her annual Winter Wonderland Ball. This ball benefits Central Florida’s foster children and is in partnership with the lead agency. The event provides an unforgettable experience for the children- complete with formal wear, hair and make-up, dancing, elaborately-themed tables, a buffet dinner, gifts for every child, and so much more. It is Misty’s hope to see even more businesses in the community support our older foster youth and partner with agencies like Fostering Youth of America to support special events, engage in mentorships, and offer job opportunities for our youth. As a woman of faith and also as a foster and adoptive mother of six, Misty knows firsthand the impact that one caring adult can make in a child’s life.  She strives to share her story and experiences to hopefully inspire and encourage others that are considering fostering and/or adoption.  She believes in sowing seeds and that each person has something they can contribute. Whether it’s through adoption, fostering, mentoring, volunteering or donating resources, everyone can do something! As the quote says "It takes a village to raise a child.”

Lauren Prekop, Aged Out Youth Specialist

Lauren is driven to help young people who have faced great adversity. Because of this, Lauren has been a part of the social service and nonprofit sector for over 14 years, with the bulk of her career being comprised of youth and family services. Lauren’s first social work venture was abroad, working in the foster care system in London, England, where she gained accreditation as a Qualified Social Worker with the General Social Care Council. Lauren immensely enjoyed her time in England, as she highly values seeing things from other perspectives, and has always treasured experiencing different cultures, countries, and ways of life! Lauren has held positions in foster care case management and adoptions; program and volunteer management; community engagement; and career development. Lauren presently manages vocational services for at-risk youth involved in the juvenile justice system. The vocational services are one aspect of the program, and the overall goal is to help them further their independence through building their self-worth and skills, so they can live a fulfilled life in freedom, rather than incarceration. Lauren strongly believes in the power of restoration and that your past does not have to determine your future! Lauren holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Central Florida, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational and Interpersonal Communication. She also has certifications in adoption competency, volunteer management, customer service and sales, safe food management, and OSHA-30 for the construction industry. In her spare time, Lauren enjoys spending time with her son, Noah, and the family pets; visiting with friends and family; traveling; trying new things; and relaxing at home.

Ashley Bedford

Ashley graduated from the University of Florida. She has extensive experience in the financial industry and is passionate about helping people achieve the dream of homeownership. She joined Patriot Home Funding in 2015 as a mortgage originator. Ashley is on the Board of Foster Youth of America an organization that supports and wraps around both Foster and Aged Out Foster Youth. In addition to that she supports other charities like Charlie’s Lunch as well as local ministries for impoverished communities. Ashley lives in Longwood with her husband John and 2 daughters Lilyanna and Hannah.

Veronica Solomon

Veronica Solomon is a copywriter and digital marketing consultant that helps brands grow by combining creative writing with data-driven marketing. She has a B.A. in Mass Communication from the University of South Florida and works with a variety of industries, such as technology, healthcare, hospitality, and residential services. In addition to Foster Youth of America, Veronica is involved with multiple causes like human rights, mental health advocacy, and environmental protection. Veronica lives in Orange City with her husband and their dalmatian, and enjoys books, nature, movies, culinary experiences, travel, and dance.

Amanda Ashmore, Medical Field Professional

Amanda Ashmore is an Administrative Director for a multi-million dollar medical practice. She oversees the daily operations and manages over 70 employees. Amanda has an extensive background in management, budgeting, medical billing, and program development. Amanda has been in the medical field for over 15 years. Her greatest accomplishment is creating a step-up program for her current company, where they foster personal growth and development from within the company. The company now works with employees to understand their life goals and works on a plan to help them get there. Amanda also creates that open door into the medical field. She has a true passion for helping others. Amanda has volunteered feeding the homeless weekly. She set up pickups for leftover food for the homeless from Panera and Publix. She set up and managed donations for clothes and person cleaning kits so they could clean themselves and brush their teeth. Amanda volunteers with multiple charities and assists with fund raisers. Amanda’s goals are to assist the youth in America, especially with career goals and immediate needs. She feels God leads her to where she is needed. Amanda lives by the bible verse Hebrews 13:16 Do not neglect to do good and share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Kristie Jones, Foster Youth Advocate

Maci Miotto, Public Relations Manager

Maci is currently a Communications Major at Valencia with the hopes of transferring to South Eastern University in 2024. She is the Public Relations Officer for Valencia and also a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She is a local news personality and anchor for Positively Osceola and also the Media Director at Misty Miotto Photography where she produces and directs cinematic wedding documentaries and also manages all of the companies promo and commercial videos as well. She has a passion for all things community related and believes in sharing her gifts to make the world a better place. As the current Miss Hometown USA, Maci uses her platform to raise awareness about the need for additional support for our Aged Out Foster Youth.

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View Waiting Children
  • HOME
  • ADOPT
    • How to Adopt
    • Benefits of Domestic Adoption
    • Help Florida's Children
    • Sign Up for Family Match!
    • Adoption Resources
  • FOSTER
    • Foster a Child
    • Mentor a Foster Youth
    • Resources for Children and Families in Need
  • AGED OUT YOUTH
    • Resources For Aged Out Youth
    • Donate Furniture to Aged Out Youth
  • VOLUNTEER
    • Volunteer
  • PROGRAMS
    • The 97% Project
  • DONATE
    • Ways To Give
  • EVENTS
    • Winter Wonderland Ball
    • Annual ELEVATION Conference
  • ABOUT US
    • Mission Statement
    • Leadership
    • Social Media
  • CONTACT