A student-led program of Unico Health NFP

My Story, My Journey

Free iCraftStories access for foster and kinship families caring for children with autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities. Personalized stories help children understand each move, new school, and new routine.

Sponsor a family for $125 See how it works

Illustrated group of children holding story cards

Cost to every enrolled family

10 stories

Per family each month

200 families

First-year goal in Tampa Bay

English and Spanish

Narration for every story

A caregiver and a child reading a story together on a tablet

Where it started

Started by a student who understands the need

My Story, My Journey was started by Gio Alonzo, an autistic student at Carrollwood Day School in Tampa, Florida, as a student-led community service project.

Children in foster and kinship care face constant change: new homes, new schools, new caregivers. For a child with autism, ADHD, or a learning disability, each change can be harder to understand. Gio wanted these children to have stories that explain what is coming, in a way that makes sense to them.

Adult oversight by John and Desiree Alonzo, Gio's parents. The program launches in Tampa Bay and is built to grow state by state.

The need

A gap for children in care

of U.S. foster youth had an intellectual or developmental disability in 2016

2 to 5x

higher rates of autism and intellectual disability than in the general population

3x+

as likely to have an ADHD diagnosis as other Medicaid-enrolled children

Sources: Shea et al., Drexel Autism Institute, JAMA Pediatrics, 2024. Danielson et al., CDC, 2011 Medicaid data, 11 states.

How it works

Four simple steps

Refer

A local partner agency identifies foster and kinship families who could benefit.

Enroll

Your gift funds a full year of access, with a reserve so service is never interrupted.

Create

Caregivers make up to 10 stories a month for moves, school, routines, and visits.

Read together

Adult and child read each story, with Home Companion prompts and tips for home.

The tool

What is iCraftStories?

A digital tool that helps caregivers create short, personalized picture stories for children with autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities, with narration in English and Spanish. It is built on social narratives, an evidence-based practice for autistic children and youth (NCAEP, 2020).

Approved vendor, Chicago Public Schools

FACE approved

A support tool for adults. Not therapy or treatment. Every story is read with a trusted adult. Created by parents of a child with autism.

iCraftStories story viewer showing an illustrated story page

Built for children in care

Stories for the child. Training for the adults.

We are working with a nonprofit that supports individuals with disabilities and their caregivers to add caregiver training on navigating services, school advocacy, and support at home. Partner details will be shared once the arrangement is finalized.

No identifying data

No child names, photos, or case details are needed to create a story.

Adult guided

Every story is read with a trusted adult, never by the child alone.

Child-centered language

Stories use the caregiver's name and "your home," not system labels.

Sponsor a family

$125 gives one family a full year

Each sponsorship covers a year of iCraftStories access with a 2 month reserve, outreach and family support, and program administration. Families pay nothing.

$125

1 family

One child's year of stories

$1,250

10 families

A foster parent support group

$6,250

50 families

A partner agency's caseload

$25,000

200 families

A full region for one year

Trouble seeing the form? Open it on Zeffy

Gifts are made to Unico Health NFP, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EIN 88-4132011, and are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

More ways to help

Lead a program in your state

Raise funds locally and connect a referral partner. We handle enrollment and family support.

Become a referral partner

Agencies and associations connect eligible families to the program at no cost.

Make an introduction

Connect us with funders, agencies, or foster care leaders in your community.

My Story, My Journey

A student-led community service project of Unico Health NFP, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Disclosure: Desiree Alonzo is Founder and President of both Unico Health NFP and iCraftStories.

Student founder

Gio Alonzo

mystory@unico.health

Co-founder, iCraftStories

John Alonzo

jalonzo@icraftstories.com

Founder, Unico Health NFP

Desiree Alonzo

dalonzo@unico.health