Grant Highlight

Kate entered the foster care system at age seven because of abuse and neglect. She’s lived in four different foster care homes and now, like many older foster care youth, lives in a group home. She’s going to be 18 in November, 2012, which means she will “age out” of foster care with no plans or ideas of what she will do next.

Every year, 125-150 youth in the foster care system in Allegheny County are emancipated, including 60-75 young women. At age 18, they are expected to be able to be on their own, most without family or economic support. The majority of them are not ready.  In 2012, the Jewish Women’s Foundation gave a grant to the Jewish Family & Children’s Service to address this critical issue.

In partnership with YouthWorks and with technical assistance from Allegheny County Department of Human Services and Casey Family Programs, JF&CS has developed a program to help young people like Kate make a successful transition from foster care to independence. “Age Up, Not Out” (AUNO) was designed to provide services for youth in Allegheny County as they exit the foster care system.  Through AUNO, youth participate in a one-week work-readiness training program where they set basic career goals and learn simple job search techniques.  If they choose, AUNO participants may continue to work with program counselors and attend life skills and job readiness workshops as they look for and start employment.

JF&CS has now provided an additional, intensive career component aimed at the young, at-risk women enrolled in AUNO.  The goal of this project is to help approximately 30 women, ages 17-21, set and take concrete steps to pursue goals that will help them become independent of the foster care system, and develop a career ladder that will help them achieve a lifetime of self-sufficiency.  Through this intensive career component, women aging out of the foster care system are invited to work with staff from JF&CS’s Career Development Center (CDC) and partner agencies to explore a variety of traditional and non-traditional career paths that offer a living wage and opportunities for advancement.

With this additional support over half of the young women participating in AUNO have either entered employment or post-secondary education.

Betty, better known as BJ, is a 19 year old African American female residing in an independent living facility. BJ experienced many of the common barriers that face foster youth – no family support, no income, no transportation, etc. She also told the AUNO staff, she is also blind in one eye due to a medical condition. Despite these issues, BJ remains optimistic and refuses to use her disability as an excuse. Through AUNO’s referral, she was hired part-time at a local non-profit to assist the clerical staff. With encouragement from the AUNO staff, BJ worked hard and learned new skills. Her efforts have paid off and she is now a full-time employee and is able to support herself. Throughout this process she has continued to meet with her AUNO counselor to discuss her future career plans. BJ is planning to continue her education and study to become a social worker so that she can someday help other young people overcome adversity and be successful.

The intensive career component has proven to be a vital and critical factor in helping these young women overcome adversity and achieve educational and vocational success.

View Grant Guidelines  •  View Funded Projects  •  Download Grant Application