Net
Just because a young person ages out of foster care doesn’t mean they’re completely on their own. The Net provides continuing support and guidance through life events such as helping obtain driver’s licenses, college applications, jobs and housing.
Love Fosters Hope established The Net based on direct experience with the ongoing struggles faced by so many teens and young adults who have aged out of foster care.
One such individual registered for a fall college semester, and while her apartment rent was due the first week of August, her educational funding wasn’t set to arrive until mid-November. The Net was able to help her by filling in the gap until her funds arrived.
High school graduation parties don’t just celebrate a milestone achievement, they also help teens with dorm or apartment necessities. Donated and collected furniture helps young adults furnish their new dorm or apartment, establishing their first home.
Whatever the life activity: applying for grants or social security cards, learning to drive, locating birth certificates, etc., we’ve developed a namesake safety “net” to prevent former foster kids from falling through the cracks.
The Net offers a proactive approach by providing a list of documents every teen will ultimately need, and where to find them. By furnishing this inventory while teens are still in foster care, we’re empowering them to take responsibility for their own lives and to begin preparing for their futures.
Many teens in foster care have never had a job, taken driving lessons, or made important decisions about their lives. We’ve created an assessment tool that helps them determine how to prepare for independent living. Then, we challenge them to set and attain goals based on what they discover.
In order to protect children, the foster care system has perpetuated a false reality where their basic needs are taken care of, but they’re frequently denied opportunities to mature by making decisions.
It’s essential for young people to experience decision-making for themselves if they are to develop into independent, responsible, successful adults. The Net allows them to do this while still having a measure of security in which to learn.
Preparing to turn 18 and starting a new adventure can be daunting under any circumstances, but young people aging out of foster care know how ill-equipped they can be to overcome the grim statistics regarding their futures. Since many don’t know how to begin to change their circumstances, they’re grateful for the assistance. Budgeting, how to open a checking account, how to avoid going into credit card debt, and other practical skills might not seem profound, but learning them can be a relief, and a life-saver.
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