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Welcome
Thank you for stopping by our website. New Family Tree is designed to assist former foster youth in their efforts to develop and achieve the skills and abilities necessary to live independently. These services last for a period of approximately two years. Journey to Independence will offer a safe place to live while teaching life skills necessary to live independently. While a part of Journey to Independence young adults will have the opportunity to attend school, obtain employment and be a contributing member of the home. In addition, New Family Tree will offer College Host Families to young adults choosing to further their education away from the Dayton-area but still needing a home for holiday and school breaks.
Understanding the Challenge
The following is an excerpted narration from a recent presentation to the Dayton community regarding transitioning foster youth.
When young adults age out of the foster care system without being connected with a permanent family, they often have nowhere to go but the families that landed them into foster care in the first place. Therefore, it is not surprising that one in five former foster youth report being homeless for some period of time after emancipating from the system.
Young adults differ from the adult homeless population because they have unique developmental needs. Sadly, there is a lack of specialized services to engage youth and effectively support them in acquiring stable, affordable housing. Most unfortunate is the fact that with a small bit of support and the right resources, it is possible to empower these young adults to build them to future leaders.
Another reality is that those former foster youth who decide to pursue higher education are faced with the dorm room becoming their permanent residence leaving them homeless in the summer unless they choose to take classes if offered.
For additional information and detailed reporting, visit Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago.
