Tag: foster youth

Empowering Favorite Moments

by
Margaux Jones, ILP Supervisor
July, 20, 2022 -

Reflect back on your teenage years. What moments stand out as your favorites? When did you finally feel like an adult; when did you get your first taste of independence? Maybe it was your first job, getting your driver’s license, going to prom, getting accepted into college, or maybe it was making your first purchase on your own debit card. These “favorite moments” not only felt empowering and positive, but they also taught you life skills and started to prepare you for adulthood.

Vouchers for Housing = Hope

by
Margaux Jones, Program Supervisor in Independent Living Program

There is such joy, excitement, and freedom that comes with moving into your first apartment. It can also be frightening navigating new environments and experiences. These highs and lows are emphasized when working with the “Foster Youth to Independence” Voucher. The Foster Youth to Independence Voucher, or FYI voucher, is a new statewide program that provides housing choice vouchers to former foster youth who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness.

Precious Resources

by
Tasha Farmer, Emergency Shelter Program Supervisor
August, 11, 2021 -

Foster parents are a vital resource to our community. They open up their hearts and homes to help youth who, for one reason or another, are unable to live with their biological family. They provide safety and stability to youth in need and truly are remarkable individuals. So what happens when there are not enough foster parents? In this piece, Emergency Shelter Program Supervisor, Tasha Farmer, explains what happens to foster youth who do not have a foster parent and the harsh reality they face when there are no homes available.

Undocumented to Degreed: One Youth’s Journey

Special Contribution from Rosa Granados, TAY-FAP Youth
by
Sarah Davenport, FCNI Director

Rosa entered college undocumented and transitioning from foster care. These two life experiences meant that she faced more obstacles than almost all of her freshmen peers. The only thing that was for certain for Rosa, was that nothing was certain. She had dreams--big dreams--but she wasn’t fully sure if they would be attainable. All she really knew was that she had the drive and the determination to do her part to achieve her goals; all she needed was a little support to go the full distance. 

Taking Fostering a Step Further…

by
Maria Roberts, Foster Family Development Specialist
May, 13, 2021 -

I foster every day...I encourage and promote growth and healing in the lives of my bio children and in the youth who I mentor.  If I were just to tell you that I foster, you probably and most likely, would think that I am talking about “foster care.”  

Future-Focused: Lottie’s Journey

by
Sarah Davenport, FCNI Director
April, 21, 2021 -

Lottie didn’t have a typical childhood. Growing up with her dad who lived with a medical condition that left him physically challenged meant that Lottie had to carry more of the caregiving duties because he wasn’t able. Everything in Lottie's life took a backseat to her dad's condition and needs, including school and her own social development. Eventually her dad’s condition worsened and he was moved into a full-time care facility. Without any family, Lottie was placed into foster care at the age of 14. 

Both sides of the Equation: A Social Worker’s Perspective

by
Daniel Carisle, FCNI Social Worker
March, 24, 2021

I wanted to write about how significant the relationship between a social worker and foster parent is. I started three other attempts to do so. I tried to make one light hearted and humorous in which I compared myself to a LEGO. Another draft, leaned more on drama. In that one, I actually described the relationship like, “A relationship forged in the fire of the foster care system.” Overly dramatic much? On my fourth attempt, I finally realized why I was having such a hard time describing it.

In this Together; a Social Worker’s Perspective

by
Jamie Stablein, FCNI Social Worker
March, 17, 2021 -

I love my job! I work with amazing kids, the best colleagues in the business, and fabulous foster parents. Some people have questioned my sanity when I talk about “loving” my job. “It must be so hard,” they say. “How do you leave it at the office?” they ask. For me, it is the people, the kids, my colleagues and friends, and the foster parents and their families who helped shift this from a “job” to a career, a passion--a mission, if you will. 

When the Perfect Time isn’t Perfect: A Reflection by a New Foster Mom

by
Jenna and edited by Sarah Davenport, FCNI Director
February, 17, 2021

Hello, my name is Jenna, and I live together with my husband, Jim, my biological thirteen year old daughter, Liz, and our two dogs, Max and Ruby. Jim and I have been married and a blended family since June of 2016. Just shortly before getting married, we closed on a house that would need a lot of work as it hadn’t been lived in in a long time.

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