Empowering Youth Aging- Out of Foster Care

Today, more than 11,000 youth are in the foster care system in Michigan.  Each year, 1,600 youth age out of foster care, typically at age 18. (Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange, n.d.) For years, if not their entire lives, their “parents” have been state or county foster care agencies, and now, overnight, “they are on their own with little or no money to support themselves, with no family members to turn to, and many find themselves without a permanent place to live,” says Kelly Small, President of Vista Affordable Housing, Inc., a subsidiary of Vista Maria. Youth who age out of the foster care system often face housing challenges upon turning 18, with many having no option other than couch surfing, sleeping on public transportation, or sleeping many nights in shelters. Small further states that “The difficulties associated with housing instability has created a domino effect on youth who have aged out, and it makes it more difficult for them to complete higher education, maintain stable employment, or manage the stress, trauma and mental health impacts of being homeless. However, with a commitment to hearing what is motivating our youth, to providing full support for their action plans, and arming youth with an array of life-skills tools for the future, we see youth find their power in our program.  When youth see new ways and possibilities, they confidently transition to adulthood.”  

Reasons for aging out of the foster care system differ. In some cases, caregivers prefer to care for younger children. In other cases, youth are placed in group homes without a permanent caregiver. Other young people move into supervised independent living, rather than adoption or permanent legal custody. In supervised independent living, independence is always promoted.  “Our Shepherd Hall Transitional Living Program is specifically designed for youth ages 16-24 who are ready to practice life-skills like budgeting, cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping.  Our youth have a willingness to become self-sufficient before supports from the state end,” says Kelly Small.   

The Shepherd Hall Transitional Living Program works directly with each youth on an individualized plan to help them become successfully independent. By working together with our youth, our specialized process begins with a series of experiences in which individuals learn to make connections between their goals and a sense of how to achieve those goals. This helps the youth gain confidence and courage, which leads to greater access and control over their resources and influence decisions that affect their lives. Shepherd Hall’s empowering program setting provides opportunities to foster independence through shared decision-making, leadership development through a tenant youth council, work readiness, and self-discovery/wellbeing workshops – and they do all of this in a real-life context. 

Small says the team at the Shepherd Hall Transitional Living Program is utilizing a combination of wraparound support strategies for youth, including aftercare services, finding connections to non-relative support, and access to an Independent Living Specialists, youth peer specialists, and adulting coaches.  Shepherd Hall offers a safe place for young people to live, learn and make the transition to independent adulthood.  “We empower each youth to actively practice their independent living skills, complete their education, and work to secure and maintain employment. Together we are working to be a part of the solution by offering affordable housing, case management support, counseling and other needed services to youth that just need a chance to start, to have someone say, ‘Yes, we will help you”.  

#VistaMaria #fostercare #IndependentLiving

Jennifer Golabek, Marketing Manager, Vista Maria