Aspiranet THP+FC program provides safety net for Ventura County foster youth

VENTURA, Calif. - April 23, 2014 - PRLog -- Presis Bryson spent the entirety of her adolescent years and a portion of her childhood living in foster care. The Ventura County resident can attest to the struggles of youth growing up in the foster care system without having a home to call their own, and the additional worry of where to turn when they “age out” of the state’s child welfare system at age 18.

Thankfully for Bryson, she reached the age of adulthood a year after the passage of AB12, the California Fostering Connections Success Act,which provides critical funding allowing youth to stay in foster care until age 21, and building an important bridge between traditional foster care and adult independence.

Aspiranet, a leading California youth, family and community services agency that serves foster youth and transitional age youth (TAY) in Ventura County, has worked hand-in-hand with Bryson as she makes the important transition to adulthood. Through Aspiranet’s THP + FC (Transitional Housing Placement  plus Foster Care Program) program, TAY youth age 18-21 are provided a safe living environment with a host family, apartment, or with roommates, while teaching them life skills to help them become self-sufficient.

Bryson is receiving a monthly stipend toward housing costs as she attends college full-time and works, a support she is gracious to receive.

“Before Aspiranet, I feared I was going to live on the streets,” Bryson describes. “I didn’t have a job at the time, and I knew I was going to start school. Aspiranet quickly helped me find an apartment to live, and are helping me with my living expenses for a couple years until I am on my feet.”

Research shows that without transitional foster care programs, foster youths who age out of foster care have lower educational achievement and are more likely to experience homelessness, unemployment, unplanned pregnancies, drug use and involvement in the legal system.

Martie Miles, Aspiranet’sVentura County director, sees on a daily basis the positive benefits that go hand-in-hand with transitional foster care. Miles credits AB12 and transitional care programs with saving many young lives.

“Research shows that pairing youth with supportive adults as they navigate through their teenage years as well as when they exit from traditional foster care leads to much greater success in life,” Miles said. “We have a huge need to find more families to foster teens as well as to mentor them as they prepare for independent living. Eighteen is far too young for most young people to make it on their own.”

Bryson encourages fellow TAY youth to seek extended foster care support to help through the next stage of their lives.

“Living in foster care is a trying time for every child who has to experience it,and it gets harder before it gets better,” Bryson explains. “Turning 18 can feel like freedom, but scary if you don’t have the right support system to help you with the next steps. Thanks to programs like THP-Plus, we now have hope that everything will be okay.”

Aspiranet is actively recruiting foster and mentor parents for foster youth, seeking business support in the form of job opportunities for youth and collecting donations.To find out more about fostering a teen and transitional foster care, call 1-877-350-HERO, go to www.aspiranetheroes.org or click here to watch a short 3 minute THP-Plus video: http://www.vimeo.com/15160149.



About Aspiranet

Aspiranet, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charity, supports foster children, siblings, families and the community with 35 core programs offering specialized services throughout 45 locations within California. Aspiranet strengthens children, families and communities through seven core programs including: Foster Care, Adoption, Residential, Transition Age Youth, Behavioral Health, Wraparound and Family and Community Services.

Founded 39 years ago as a six-bed group home for young boys in Moss Beach, Calif., Aspiranet is one of the most diverse nonprofit social service agencies in the state. With a statewide network of innovative services, Aspiranet serves more than 10,000 families each year. For more information, please visit www.aspiranet.org.