Over the last several years, Cumberland Presbyterian Children's Home has seen a shift in the type of youths placed in our care. Child Protective Services is seeking placements at CPCH for older children, primarily pre-teens and teenagers. These young people have often been in multiple foster placements due to emotional and behavioral issues, and they are harder to place in foster homes than younger children.
While some foster care youths may be adopted or reunited with their families, according to information from the United States General Accounting Office, each year approximately 20,000 youths exit or "age out" of the foster care system with the expectation that they will be self-sufficient. Many of these youths face serious problems, including lack of employment stability, incarceration, or pregnancy at an early age.
Since identifying this new trend in our placements, CPCH has begun to tailor our programming to the unique needs of pre-teens and teenagers. As study data and CPCH's own anecdotal evidence show, one critical area of need for pre-teens and teenagers is independent living skills. These include personal and interpersonal skills, how to secure housing and transportation, acquiring job skills, learning money management, dealing with health issues, and planning for the future, among other topics.
CPCH's goal is to prepare the youths we serve to be self-sufficient, productive members of society when they leave our care. To do this, CPCH must provide them with opportunities to learn and practice independent living skills. Thanks to grant funding and the hard work of CPCH's staff and volunteers, CPCH can enhance and expand our independent living skills programming to include:
While some foster care youths may be adopted or reunited with their families, according to information from the United States General Accounting Office, each year approximately 20,000 youths exit or "age out" of the foster care system with the expectation that they will be self-sufficient. Many of these youths face serious problems, including lack of employment stability, incarceration, or pregnancy at an early age.
Since identifying this new trend in our placements, CPCH has begun to tailor our programming to the unique needs of pre-teens and teenagers. As study data and CPCH's own anecdotal evidence show, one critical area of need for pre-teens and teenagers is independent living skills. These include personal and interpersonal skills, how to secure housing and transportation, acquiring job skills, learning money management, dealing with health issues, and planning for the future, among other topics.
CPCH's goal is to prepare the youths we serve to be self-sufficient, productive members of society when they leave our care. To do this, CPCH must provide them with opportunities to learn and practice independent living skills. Thanks to grant funding and the hard work of CPCH's staff and volunteers, CPCH can enhance and expand our independent living skills programming to include:
- Classes on computer skills, cooking, sexual health and parenting (infant and young child care), internet safety (identity theft and predators)
- Professional speakers on topics such as personal finance, political involvement or community involvement
- Field trips to practice using public transportation, finding rental housing, applying for employment, visiting colleges
- A library of educational DVDs on independent living skills topics
- Computers and printers for use in independent living skills programming
- Materials and supplies for hands-on practice of independent living skills
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