The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare highlights The Mayfly Project and a new program to give free fishing licenses to youth in extended foster care. From the article:
For children in foster care, the effects of instability, stress, and trauma can be overwhelming. Fly fishing is emerging as a therapeutic tool, offering kids a chance to escape their worries, build confidence, and experience the calming effects of nature.
The Department of Health and Welfare is reinforcing this approach in 2025 by providing free fishing licenses to youth in extended foster care. The program is also paving the way for a new partnership with The Mayfly Project, a national nonprofit that has established a track record of success in using fly fishing to mentor and support children in foster care.
About fly fishing as therapy
Kaitlin Barnhart, co-founder and national program director of The Mayfly Project, believes DHW’s initiative is a step in the right direction.
“We’re proof of how what DHW is doing is important,” Barnhart said. “Fly fishing creates so many mental health benefits.”
Barnhart’s background working in the foster care system led her to fly fishing as a way to decompress. She quickly realized how beneficial the sport was, not just for herself, but for the children she worked with. She began taking foster youth fishing and saw immediate positive changes.
“It gives kids a chance to take a break and just be kids on the river,” she said. “There’s a decompression we often see when we get them on the water—they become a different kid almost immediately.”
Barnhart pointed out that some doctors now prescribe fly fishing for people with PTSD due to the rhythmic, meditative nature of casting. The simple act of casting can be beneficial for children, particularly those in foster care who may struggle with learning disabilities, ADHD, or other effects of trauma.
“Our project is designed to help kids feel successful,” Barnhart added. “It also helps develop self-esteem.”
Read the full article HERE!
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