We can best answer this question with one of our own: What young adult (aged 17 to 24) today is prepared to face their world, with all its challenges, on their own and without the ongoing nurture, encouragement and support of a stable community of caring adults? Each year, many thousands of young adults leave foster care (or other placement) having an inadequate network of adult family, friends or others to help them complete the transition into their adulthood.
Imagine a young adult who has done quite well in the process of their growing up. They’ve succeeded in their academic achievements and have a good grasp of social and life skills for their age. Imagine they have been accepted into a college or vocational school to help prepare them for their chosen career. So far, so good, right? But even with all that going for them, what happens to them during Christmas or Spring Break? Summer break? What happens if they become sick and need to take time away from school? What about if they should become discouraged or overcome with doubt? And these challenges are common with all people in this stage of life.
In the course of our human development, many things can and do go wrong…
Most often in looking at the backgrounds and circumstances of these young adults we find that they have been less than ideal. Most often some of the critical elements that help each one of us develop and mature in normal and expected ways have been missing for them. As a result they have not been able to complete their emotional and mental development at a pace consistent with age appropriate expectations. This leaves them especially vulnerable to making bad choices in times of stress or doubt. Too often they turn to substance abuse or other damaging behaviors to escape the pain and hopelessness that they face.
What these young adults need is more time to develop and the guidance they can receive from ongoing, long-term relationships with stable, caring adults in the community.
Perhaps that’s where you come in.
…may offer more than a pound of cure. Rather than waiting until these young adults get into trouble with drugs, alcohol, gambling or other problem behaviors, we propose to do something to help them before the trouble starts. We prefer to expend our efforts and resources in helping them avoid such needless pitfalls, as opposed to the expensive and lengthy treatment to rehabilitate them after the fact.
By offering programs of supervised and accountable living. By involving stable, caring adults from the community to mentor, nurture and host these youngsters when they need it most.
Yes, some of what they need will have to come from additional training and education. But a good deal of the help they need comes down to real basic human stuff: A family to come home to, someone who’ll listen and offer caring advice and wisdom. A friendly hand to pick them up, dust them off, and get them back on the horse when they’ve fallen.
See yourself in there somewhere? Give us a call.