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.”

Free fishing licenses for youth in extended foster care

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission recently approved a program that will provide free fishing licenses to youth in extended foster care and one foster parent per household in 2025. This initiative is a collaborative effort between Idaho Fish and Game, DHW, and Idaho Sportsmen, Access & Opportunity, a hunting and fishing advocacy group that is funding the balance of discounted fishing licenses for eligible youth ages 18 to 20 and one foster parent per family.

Foster youth and parents who wish to participate will receive a voucher from DHW that can be redeemed for a fishing license at a Fish and Game office.

Youth in foster care and their families wishing to participate in the program should reach out to Laura Denner at DHW.

Laura Denner, DHW
208-334-0641 (office)
Laura.Denner@dhw.idaho.gov

It takes a village

The effort to introduce more foster youth to fly fishing is continuing to take root in Idaho through the efforts of a growing number of organizations: DHW, Idaho Fish and Game, Idaho Sportsmen, Access & Opportunity, and The Mayfly Project, to name four.

“For kids in foster care to learn that there’s someplace they can go and experience fresh air, clean water, and the calm of fly fishing is huge,” Barnhart said. “Our rivers need kids, and our kids need rivers.”

Idaho Sportsmen, Access & Opportunity Founder and Chairman Benn Brocksome agreed.

“Idaho’s great outdoors should be accessible to all, especially foster youth who can find solace and adventure in nature,” he said in reference to his organization’s decision to underwrite the foster youth free fishing program. 

A step in the right direction

The fly fishing community has embraced The Mayfly Project, leading to rapid growth. In just ten years, the organization has expanded to 67 project locations in the U.S.

The budding partnerships between DHW, The Mayfly Project, Fish and Game, and the Idaho Sportsmen group represent a community investment in the well-being of Idaho’s foster youth. By leveraging Idaho’s rich outdoor environment, the initiatives offer young people a meaningful and healing way to connect with nature, gain new skills, and build lasting relationships.

The Mayfly Project’s decade-long track record of success working with foster youth provides clear evidence that fishing can be a transformative experience for children in foster care, reinforcing that DHW’s efforts are a step in the right direction.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.