Family Care Network Annual Report

Recommendations

Info

transitional age youth financial assistance program (TAY-FAP) Established in 2010 and in partnership with SLO County’s Department of Social Services, TAY-FAP provides financial assistance to any current or former foster youth participating in, or eligible to participate in, the SLO County’s Independent Living Program. TAY-FAP leverages community resources, grants and a dedicated program fund to help youth enroll and attend higher education and/ or vocational programs. As TAY-FAP focuses on increasing participants’ enrollment in higher education or vocational training, its overall goal is to assist current or former foster youth in obtaining meaningful employment with sustainable wages after they leave care. TAY-FAP funding provides for: • Housing • Transportation needs • School/Vocational School supplies • Urgent and/or emergency needs related to independent living expenses, such as: utilities, household items, groceries, finding housing/employment, etcetera. 2017-2018 Outcomes Youth Served 89 Successful Program Days 92% curtis Like many foster youth, Curtis’ road through adolescence had been littered with obstacles, each one seemingly insurmountable. He struggled to graduate high school and then he struggled to find a job that would cover his housing and basic needs. Without family to help him and after a series of bad choices, Curtis ended up jobless and homeless. But a chance meeting with an old friend gave him the second chance he needed—he was connected with the Independent Living Program (ILP) and the Transitional Age Youth Financial Assistant Program (TAY-FAP), both of which would help him get out of the hole he couldn’t get out of on his own. Once connected with FCNI, Curtis found housing with a fellow ILP participant and started attending every FCNI life skills workshop he could—job readiness, budgeting, healthy relationships and more. He became fully committed to learning as much as possible to make up for the time he’d lost. His team walked him through the process of identifying what he wanted for his future, and, together, they mapped out the steps he needed to take and the financial assistance he would receive. Having spent the last year focused only on survival, Curtis was overwhelmed by all of the support and resources suddenly available to him. Not wanting to let anyone down, including himself, he focused on utilizing his team to stay on course. Curtis not only achieved his short-term goals—enrolling in college, securing a job on campus and refurbishing a bike for him to use for transportation—he felt confident enough to set more long-term goals. He set up a savings account and a budget so he could eventually buy a car and move into his own apartment. He also moved beyond dreams of just getting a job, to wanting a career as a police officer. Curtis’ team connected him with a mentor who served on the local police force who could encourage him and help him navigate his career planning. More than just setting and reaching goals, Curtis really started to see himself as a leader, someone who weathered a lot, made some mistakes, and learned how to come out on the other side stronger. Curtis’ stronger self-confidence helped him become more vocal in FCNI workshops, offering his support and advice to others in similar circumstances. From barely surviving to really thriving, Curtis has become a force of ambition and success who knows no limits. 24
ory Rory really wanted to make it on her own. After she graduated from high school, she left foster care and started community college. But even though she was highly motivated, making all of her financial ends meet while going to school was really difficult. When facing eviction, Rory knew that in order to keep her apartment, she’d need to drop out of college to increase her work hours. Feeling like her dreams were being derailed, Rory reached out for help through ILP. As an independent youth, Rory detailed all of her goals at her very first team meeting—she wanted to live on her own and she wanted to keep her job at a music store, and eventually, she wanted to own her own DJ business. In full support of her, Rory’s ILP worker offered her guidance and direction, helping her make “dream to-do” lists. Rory listed out her goals and the steps she needed to complete to reach them. She wanted to run a business, so she needed to re-enroll in college (with financial help from FCNI) to take business classes. Rory also listed that she wanted to learn how to set and stick to a budget, and to make inexpensive meals on her own and that she wanted to improve her people skills. Her worker walked her through the list of upcoming ILP workshops, noting which ones would help her meet these different goals. Her ILP worker also gave Rory a notebook and encouraged her to make “dream to-do” lists as she met certain goals and wanted to set new ones. ILP was a guiding light for Rory. As she worked towards her goals, they made sure she learned the skills she needed to do so. When Rory decided she was ready for a pet, her worker helped her learn about adopting a cat and how best to take care of one. When Rory finally adopted a little black kitty of her own, she was fully confident in her ability to be a good cat owner. ILP also encouraged Rory’s dream to become a DJ by asking her to DJ a special ILP event for her peers. Creating playlists and seeing her friends joyously react to her song choices was an experience Rory knows she’ll always treasurer. With her eyes firmly on her future, Rory continues to add more and more goals to her journal, filling up the pages with dreams met and dreams yet to come. independent living program (ILP) We launched our ILP program in partnership with Santa Barbara County’s Department of Social Services (DSS) in July, 2011, and then was awarded the ILP program for SLO County in July, 2015. The purpose of the Independent Living Program is to empower current and former foster youth through education, life skills training, advocacy, workforce development and community collaboration. Program participants work with our Rehabilitation Specialists to learn the independent living skills necessary to become self-sufficient adults. Program outcomes are evidenced by: • Successfully completing a Transition to Independent Living Plan (TILP) • Learning the skills necessary to become self-sufficient • Completing high school and/or successfully enrolling in college or vocational training with a goal to secure meaningful long-term employment 2017-2018 Outcomes Youth Served 769 Successful Program Days 99% 25
Page 1 and 2: come togetHer 2017-2018 Annual Repo
Page 3 and 4: 2 | about family care network, inc.
Page 5 and 6: Solving Problems is an organization
Page 7 and 8: 2017-2018 year in review board of d
Page 9 and 10: ehavioral health services In-Home B
Page 11 and 12: statement of activities actual reve
Page 13 and 14: Wraparound Our Wraparound program b
Page 15 and 16: Foster-Adoption We became a State L
Page 17 and 18: ehavioral health services FCNI prov
Page 19 and 20: therapeutic behavioral services (TB
Page 21 and 22: housing and support services Progra
Page 23 and 24: transitional housing placement prog
Page 25: education support services Support
Page 29 and 30: community resources development As
Page 31 and 32: mentors We began recruiting mentors

Family Care Network Annual Report

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?