Nestling provides resources, mentorship, and community to Jewish youth who can't live with their biological families due to safety concerns.
We believe that no one should have to walk that path alone.
When you're not living with your biological family, it can feel like no one gets it. Like everyone else has something you don't.
Nestling is here to wrap you in the community and support you deserve.
For teens and young adults (ages 16 & up) who are in foster care, boarding, or living on their own, we provide resources, guidance, and connection.
Malky Schwartz knows firsthand what it's like to grow up without the safety net of a traditional family. As a teenager navigating the foster care system, she often felt unseen and misunderstood.
Drawing on her own experience and determined to make sure no one else would feel that way, Malky built Nestling to offer the kind of support she needed when she was navigating the challenges of life away from home.
Jewish teens separated from their biological families often face crippling loneliness—and almost no one talks about it.
At Nestling, we do.
And more importantly, we act.
Your support helps provide:
Right now, most of our services are for girls and young women, but we're actively working on expanding support for boys as well.
No. We support anyone who isn't living with their biological family for safety or stability reasons—whether that means foster care, living with relatives, or on your own.
Yes. All information shared with Nestling is kept strictly confidential, and we never disclose information about our members without their explicit permission.
Nestling primarily serves communities in Monsey, Brooklyn, and Lakewood. For in-person events, local support services, and care packages, we currently focus on these three communities where the need is greatest. While we may be able to provide some support (like our magazine) to youth in other locations, our capacity to deliver physical packages is generally limited to these main areas.
Thanks to our generous donors, the vast majority of Nestling's services are provided free of charge to those who qualify. However, there may be a small fee for certain events and Shabbatons.
We've worked with many wonderful, committed foster families—people who go above and beyond every day. We know how much you give, and how much you care. When your foster child uses our services, it doesn't mean you haven't done enough or that you're not supportive. Even with the most loving home, children separated from their biological families can still feel the quiet ache of being different. Nestling isn't here to replace you, but to help fill a gap that love alone can't always reach: the need for cultural belonging, shared understanding, and connection to others who have been in their shoes.