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Transitioning to Adulthood: Prospective Students – The Journey
More than 500,000 children in America live in foster care. This foster youth population needs our attention in order to help provide guidance for these young people to develop and accomplish their life goals. Helping these young people attain their post-secondary educational goals is our greatest wish.
Research suggests that without extended support most families provide young people in transition to adulthood, youth foster care face enormous challenges in building successful lives. Helping these young people overcome a potentially troubled background remains a pressing concern.
We hope this website will be a help to the foster youth in our community. We gratefully acknowledge the wonderful professionals who take care of our foster youth within the system in the State of Florida and to the child advocates working each day to make our foster youth strong and successful. We also appreciate the Guidance Counselors and SAFE Coordinators in our community elementary, middle and high schools that work hard each day to make a difference in children’s lives.
Preparing for entering Post-Secondary School – After Care Services
For ages 18 and not yet 23 years of age, aftercare support services are available to assist young adults formerly in foster care so they will continue to develop skills necessary for independent living.
Young adults formerly in foster care are eligible to apply for transitional support services depending on specific criteria. Access the specifics from your foster care providers.
Resources
- Knight Alliance Network (KAN)
- The KAN program promotes access and student success for foster youth and foster care alumni. We work with students to help them successfully transition to the University of Central Florida.
- Casey Family Programs
- Casey Family Programs’ mission is to provide and improve — and ultimately prevent the need for — foster care
- Federal Student Aid
- The U.S. Department of Education doesn’t provide a financial aid program specifically for students who are (or have been) in foster care. However, such students can receive money for college if they meet the eligibility requirements for federal student aid.
- This FCF publication answers the most commonly asked questions asked by teens as they figure out their transition to adulthood.
- 2011 Florida Statutes – 409.1451 – Independent Living Transition Services
- List of 2011 Florida Statues from the Florida Senate relating to independent living transition services
- Foster Youth College Preparation Checklist
- A checklist to help foster youth prepare for college, beginning in sixth grade.
- Foster Youth Testimonial
- The story and testimonial of a former student who graduated from the University of Central Florida.
- Foster Youth Timeline
- Timeline Model for Establishing Foster Youth Personal Goal
- Foster Care Alumni of America
- The vision of Foster Care Alumni of America is that all people in and from foster care are connected, empowered, and flourishing.
- On Your Own, But Not Alone
- A Handbook to Empower Florida Youth Leaving Foster Care
- Providing Effective Financial Assistance to Foster Care & Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
- Tips from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office
Acknowledgments
We would like to acknowledge the following organizations and individuals for their contributions to this website.
- Orange County Schools, School Court Liaison, Shirley Johnson-Delgado
- The Guidance Counselors/ SAFE Coordinators in our community schools
- Department of Children and Families
- Family Services of Metro Orlando (FSMO)
- Gerry F. Glynn – Associate Professor at Barry University School of Law – Independent Living and New Legislation – Excerpts from Florida Statutes – at the Orange County Dependency Court Improvement Summit February 3, 2006.
- Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida
- Youth who “Age Out” of Foster Care: Troubled Lives, Troubling Prospects by Richard Werthheimer, PhD – December 2002 – Child Trends Research Brief.
- Network on Transitions to Adulthood Policy Brief – MacArthur Foundation Research Network – October 2004, On the Frontier of Adulthood: Emerging Themes and New Directions – Frank F. Furstenberg, Jr., Ruben G Rumbaut and Richard A. Settersten, Jr.
- Florida Department of Education
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – FDIC Money Smart
- Inside Higher Ed – Dec 15, 2006 – Fostering Higher Education Success – Rob Capriccioso
- The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) – Report: Foster Youth Among Most Disadvantaged for Higher Education Opportunity – Dec 15th 2005. Higher Education Opportunities for Foster Youth – A Primer for Policy Makers – Thomas R. Wolanin – The Institute for Higher Education Policy.
- The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics
- City of Life Education – Denise Hogan – City of Life is a 501(c)3 corporation made up of a volunteer board and one full-time employee interested in making a positive difference in the lives of young people, especially foster youth, age 16 and older as they make the transition to adulthood. The Foundation works with existing community resources to build a self-sustaining program that provides jobs and structure for at-risk youth with a particular focus on foster care youth that “age out” of the system. The City of Life Foundation is creating and sponsoring programs to enable these children to transition either into the job market, into further education and training, or into the military service.
- EHAP Inc, “Off the Court” – Veraunda I. Jackson
- Judge Maura T Smith, John Cooper, Michelle Akins, Jill Hamilton who with others, put together the Orange County Dependency Court Improvement Summit on February 3, 2006.
- Sara Timinsky – CEP Epals – Mentoring Program
- Dr. Mary Van Hook, Director/Professor – School of Social Work – University of Central Florida
- Office of Student Financial Assistance – University of Central Florida