Foster Care Alumni of America (FCAA) and FosterClub have been awarded an AmeriCorps planning grant from the Corporation for National Community Service (CNCS), a public-private partnership and the nation’s largest grantmaker supporting service and volunteering. CNCS administers the Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs.
The purpose of an AmeriCorps planning grant is to support the development of service programs so applicants are better prepared to compete for an AmeriCorps program grant the following year. The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009 specifically calls for expanded opportunities for foster youth through AmeriCorps and other national service opportunities. FCAA and FosterClub will use their one-year grant to develop a program that encourages young alumni of foster care to explore national service by spending a year as an AmeriCorps member. FCAA and FosterClub will also research how alumni can best serve youth who are still in foster care.
Annually, approximately 29,000 youth leave foster care because they reached the age at which services are terminated (typically 18 or 21). With no home, no family for support, and no adult figure to consult for guidance or advice, former foster youth are often isolated and alone, disconnected from their peers and the larger community. Many foster youth struggle with the basics: housing, food, education and/or employment.
FCAA and FosterClub will explore how an AmeriCorps experience can provide protective factors to young people as they transition to adulthood. These include supportive relationships, professional mentoring, educational benefits and access to broad career opportunities.
Foster Care Alumni of America connects adults who experienced the foster care system, known as alumni, and uses the experiences of alumni to transform the foster care system. FosterClub is the national network for young people currently in, or who have experienced, the foster care system. FosterClub offers tools and resources youth need to connect with one another, to share their experiences and insights, and to achieve personal success.
“We are honored to be selected for a planning grant,” said Nathan Monell, Chief Executive Officer of FCAA. “AmeriCorps presents a unique opportunity to for youth who are coming out of foster care, but there are also challenges. Lacking the financial and moral support of families, many youth and alumni may miss out on the proven benefits of national service. FosterClub and FCAA are distinctly positioned to tap into our members’ expertise to design and deliver an AmeriCorps program that removes barriers to their participation in national service.”
“We know that youth transitioning out of foster care can benefit greatly from a year of service,” said Celeste Bodner, Executive Director of FosterClub. “AmeriCorps members not only receive a monthly stipend to cover their living expenses, they also receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award which can be used to pay educational expenses, educational training, or student loans. But perhaps the greatest benefit of the AmeriCorps program is the professional development that comes from hands on, community-based experience. There is tremendous value for young adults in working on a team that exists to serve others.”
FCAA and FosterClub will begin work on the planning grant in May 2010.
