Who We Are
The Dream Catcher Foundation helps current and emancipated foster youth reach their maximum emotional, social, educational, and developmental potential. We provide supportive, culturally relevant services to current and emancipated foster youth, such as educational expenses, social activities and interaction, therapeutic workshops, personal and incidental supplies, household supplies, respite housing, resource referrals, and mentoring, to assist them in becoming successful independent young adults.
Our History
Our Executive Director Pam Norris started working with foster youth in 1976. As she helped young people to navigate the foster system and improve their lives, she became disheartened with the group homes available to them. So, in 1983, she opened one of her own: Norris Group Home.
Drawing on those decades of experience, The Dream Catcher Foundation opened its first group residential facility in 2009. Since then we have expanded to provide an array of services to help foster youth as they transition to adulthood.
How We’ve Helped
It all….
Our Team.
Pam Norris
Pam Norris is the Executive Director and CFO of the Dream catcher Foundation. She was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from U.C.L.A and a master’s degree in Counseling from California State University, Los Angeles.
In 1976, Pam began her career working with foster youth as a Social Worker for Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. After becoming disheartened and unsatisfied with the group homes that were available for teenage girls, she left the county to open her first group home for foster girls in 1983.
Over the past 3 decades, Pam has touched the lives of hundreds of young girls in the foster care system. Some of the girls made a special connection and bond with Pam and have become part of her extended family. They connected with her genuine desire to make life better for them by providing them with the nurturing, guidance, and love they deserved to become successful individuals in our society.
Today, these young ladies are mature women who are mothers, wives, professionals, executives, entertainment managers, social workers, lawyers, therapists, nurses, and other occupations. They beat the odds of ending up homeless, unemployed, incarcerated, or dead before the age of 25. These young women and their success in life is what has motivated Pam throughout the years. Pam has continued her calling in life and will stay dedicated at taking care of God's children until He relieves her of this calling.
Alexandra Crayton
Alexandra, “Alex” Crayton began her career with the Dream Catcher Foundation while still in high school working along side her mother, Pam Norris. Alex became a sister to many of the foster youth in the group homes throughout the years. This experience motivated her to earn a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Tuskegee University.
After graduation in 2012, she became the Administrator of the group home program. Alex also directed the independent living skills program within the Agency and has become successful in recruiting donors and volunteers to “Pay Forward” the gift of giving. Due to her genuine love and commitment for foster youth, she has made lifelong connections with many of the youth who have entered and left the agency.
In January 2020, Alex became the CEO of the Dream Catcher Foundation carrying on her mother’s legacy to empower foster youth to become successful and contributing citizens in their community. She is affectionately known to many current and emancipated foster youth as “Ms Alex.”