The Deborah Fisher Guardianship ProgramSome children are surrounded by adults yet still have no adult who is truly theirs.
No parent to sign a permission slip for a school trip.
No one who remembers a birthday or shows up for a parent-teacher meeting.
In Israel, approximately 1,500 children live in state-run residential care without family support. About 250 of them are entirely alone – with no active guardian, no adult voice to protect them legally, and no one consistently seeing them emotionally.
Out of this reality, the Deborah Fisher Guardianship Program was created.
Its purpose is both simple and profound:
to be the steady, believing, committed adult in the life of a child who has no one else.
The Deborah Fisher Guardianship Program
Being the one adult a child can truly rely on
“Sometimes I feel like I don’t belong to anyone. And then Inbal comes to visit – and suddenly, I’m someone’s child again.”
Adam, 11
Who are the children?
Most of the children in the program grew up in homes that could not provide safety or stability. Some are orphans. Others were abandoned or lived with parents who could no longer function due to illness, addiction, or severe emotional distress. These children lost not only their parents, but also their sense of belonging.
Behind the statistics are lives marked by neglect, violence, and deep vulnerability – but also by resilience, determination, and quiet strength. When even one stable adult truly believes in them, these children are often able to do what once seemed impossible.
What does it mean to be a Guardian?
When there is no parent, relative, or adult who can assume responsibility, the state appoints Yeladim as the legal guardian of the child – responsible for both personal wellbeing and financial matters. It may sound administrative, but in practice, it is a deeply human mission.
Our Guardians do far more than sign forms.
They are present – for the joyful moments and the difficult ones alike.
Being a Guardian means visiting regularly, knowing what makes a child laugh, making sure they receive dental care, have glasses when they need them, own a phone, and – just as importantly – being available late at night when a child wakes from a nightmare and has no one else to call.
Above all, the guardian restores a fundamental truth: there is someone in the world who cares.
Today, our guardians accompany approximately 120 children and adolescents, ages 6-19, living in residential care across Israel and from all sectors of society. They are present for every decision, large and small – from courtrooms to military induction centers. They sit beside hospital beds when needed, take a child to see the sea for the first time, and turn an ordinary falafel outing into a moment of healing and connection.
They serve as both legal and financial protectors, and as a steady, personal presence that lasts for years.
“When I arrived at the residential school, I was nine years old. No one came to parent-teacher meetings. No one called to ask if I had eaten. When Avner entered my life, I didn’t believe he would stay. But he kept coming back – even when I pushed him away. Today I’m 17. I know that no matter what happens, there is one person in the world who will be there for me.”
David, 17
How the program works
The Guardianship Program was built on the understanding that children without family support need more than legal oversight – they need someone who walks with them as family would.
Each guardian coordinates all the systems surrounding the child: the residential school, educational staff, welfare authorities, healthcare providers, and – when possible – biological family members. The goal is to ensure the child does not fall through the cracks, that their needs are heard, and that they are not just a case in a system, but a real presence in their own life.
Our model integrates full legal responsibility with emotional and therapeutic care:
• Ongoing personal relationships through regular conversations, visits, and shared routines
• Legal advocacy and representation before authorities and courts
• Financial oversight to ensure all resources serve the child’s needs alone
• Close professional collaboration with educators, welfare and health professionals, and biological family when appropriate
In 2024, the State of Israel formally adopted Yeladim’s model as the national standard for therapeutic guardianship – recognizing a relationship-based, trust-centered approach rather than a purely technical one. This marked a genuine shift in how guardianship is understood and practiced nationwide.
The Day After
On a child’s 18th birthday, the legal guardianship order ends. Residential care frameworks close. Government stipends stop. On paper, the young person is now an “independent adult.”
In reality, these are often the most fragile years.
Most young adults leaving the program are not eligible for other state frameworks. They have no home to return to, no one to teach them how to open a bank account or sign a lease—and no one notices how quickly “independence” can turn into profound isolation. From there, the slide toward homelessness can be frighteningly fast.
This reality gave rise to The Day After program.
We do not disappear when the legal order ends. Instead, we help build a bridge into adulthood – through conversations about fear and uncertainty, support in choosing education paths, help finding housing, and sometimes simply a warm meal when the refrigerator is empty.
Guardians continue to accompany young adults with the same commitment, but in a new way – not managing their lives but walking alongside them until they can truly stand on their own.
The Day After is not just another program.
It is a promise that our commitment is not defined by a legal document – but by how long we continue to believe in our children, even when they are no longer children.
What the program includes
• Continued voluntary relationships with guardians into adulthood
• Support during crises, decision-making, and major life transitions
• Connection to tailored resources in housing, employment, mental health care, and more
Help us ensure that every child has one consistent adult
Each guardian accompanies children for years - with personal commitment, stability, and care.
Every contribution helps ensure that another child has someone who remembers their name, their birthday, and the dreams they may not yet dare to dream.