WINTER PARK, Fla. – There comes a time when all of us need a little support.
And for young adults like Thermon Williams, who has been in the foster care system since he was a teen, encouragement comes from weekly meetings with Foundation for Foster Children advocate, Gavin Farrington.
“We normally talk about personal updates we talk about our interests,” Williams said. “We find out what we have in common.”
The two spend time together as part of the Foundation for Foster Children’s Empower Program.
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The nonprofit provides personalized education, enrichment, mock interviews, life skills training, and mentoring services to young adults up to age 24.
“It’s not just a one-way road it’s a friendship between the both of us,” Farrington said. “I think it benefits us both.”
Foundation For Foster Children CEO Raquel Tapia Bell says the program is designed for young adults who have aged out of foster care but would still like services to help guide their future.
“With our program, we go until the age of 24 because we know, like most kids, even at 18 you think you have it all figured out and maybe they might opt to not stay in extended foster care,” Tapia-Bell said. “So, I think what happens is they get to that age and they realize, no I still need help, I still need support and so I need to opt back into services so that I can be successful in this transition.”
In fact, according to the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, one in four kids will be involved in the justice system within two years of aging out of the foster care system
One in five will become homeless after turning 18.
And only half will be employed by the age of 24.
Through the weekly meetings, it was revealed that Williams had an interest in cooking and food service. Advocates helped him get enrolled in the Second Harvest Culinary Training Program.
Williams says the program has helped him gain confidence. “I’ve had the opportunity to be exposed to more things and prove myself,” Williams said. “I feel like I’ve really grown.”
Williams hopes to land a full-time job in the industry and eventually open his own BBQ restaurant.
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do for a career,” Williams continued. “It’s only been a few months but I’ve learned so much.”
Tapia-Bell says having regular meetings helps advocates and participants get to know each other better and get a jump on potential struggles.
“What that allows us to do is kind of be ahead of a lot of things,” Tapia-Bell said. “If you’re seeing a kid every week you know what’s upcoming for them, you know what’s a stressor that’s happening this week that could affect next week as opposed to seeing them every 30 days. So much can happen in a month in a child’s life.”
And they’re getting results. The Foundation for Foster Children has a nearly 100% success rate keeping kids housed, in school and out of the criminal justice system.
More than 90% are employed.
“They’re amazing kids who unfortunately came into a system because of some traumatic things within their families,” Tapia-Bell said. “They deserve a chance to path a different future for themselves.”
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