Brian Sales, a local youth program director with over sixteen years in the human services field, has been hired as Best Kids’ first Director of Operations.

Best Kids, Inc. is the only volunteer mentoring program serving foster care children in the District of Columbia. It has the first ever partnership agreement with the District of Columbia Child and Family Services Agency to provide long-term volunteer mentors for foster care children in Washington, D.C.

Almost half (44.5 percent) of children entering foster care age 12 or younger in the District of Columbia are placed in a group home or institution. This is the highest percentage reported nationally---the national average is 8.7 percent. The District of Columbia has a severe shortage of foster care parents.

Research indicates that mentoring helps at-risk children. For example,

• Caring adults can make a difference in foster care children’s lives. Forty-five percent of mentored teens are less likely to use drugs. Fifty-nine percent of mentored teens have better academic performance. Seventy-three percent of mentored teens achieve higher goals generally.
• Children who have mentors have better relationships with adults, fewer disciplinary referrals, and more confidence to achieve their goals.¹

Sales is uniquely qualified to be Best Kids’ Director of Operations. He has held positions in higher education, human services, and corporate America. Most recently, Brian was the Program Director of Mentors, Inc., the oldest high school- aged community-based mentoring program in the District of Columbia, where he increased the number of matches by 20 percent and improved many facets of the program.

In addition, Brian has started the DC Mentoring Affinity Group, composed of mentoring organizations in the D.C. metro area that meet monthly to share information and best practices.

Sales says, “I am excited by this opportunity to help serve foster care children in the District of Columbia. Every child deserves a family, but when that is not possible, a positive relationship with a long-term mentor can help immeasurably.”

Prior to working in the District, Brian served as the mentoring specialist for MentorWorks, through Fairfax County Public Schools; it is the largest school-based mentoring program in Northern Virginia.

He also directed a runaway and homeless youth program and a substance abuse prevention program for teens at a community center.

Todd Leibbrand, President of BEST Kids explains, “Brian Sales brings deep passion and experience in the mentoring field as evidenced by his founding the first Mentor Affinity Group in the District of Columbia. Combined with his leadership skills and youth development skills, I believe Brian is the right person to take the BEST Kids™ mentoring program to the next level.”

Brian has a B.A. in History from Hobart College and a Master’s degree in Africana Studies from Cornell University. He is a native of Syracuse, NY and has lived in the Washington, D.C. area for seven years.