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Follow on Google News | Golden Oak Award Winner Announced, Annual Award Given to Community LeadersBy: Fullerton Arboretum Hart Community Homes (HCH) was founded in 1996 to assist Orange County youth who are placed in the foster care system. They operate two state-licensed residential treatment homes in Orange, CA for boys ages 13-18. Their youth have a background of abuse, parental alcoholism and drug addiction, family mental illness, neglect and abandonment. HCH begins working with these youth when they come to their homes from the Social Services Child Welfare System. HCH provides services and support until their youth are emancipated successfully into the community. Youth "aging-out" of the foster care system at the age of 18 without adequate independent living skills has been a growing national concern for decades. The consequences of inadequate employment training and support have intensified conditions of incarceration, homelessness, poverty and unemployment. The 1999/2000 Orange County Grand Jury reported that within 12-19 months of emancipation: · -50% of emancipated foster youth were unemployed and had been homeless · -37% had not finished high school · -27% of males and 10% of females had been incarcerated · -33% were receiving some form of public assistance, and · -45% were involved in out-of-wedlock birth HCA opened the Monkey Business Café in August 2005 in direct response to the need for further support for youth who have emancipated out of the foster care system. The Monkey Business Café offers a 6-month paid job training program in a restaurant. Participants work one-on-one with a job coach to foster a pathway to success that includes work experience, employability skills and living skills. Job training also includes experience working on Fullerton Arboretum's farm and teaching garden where the youth learn about growing, harvesting and preparing fresh produce. In addition, youth have life time access to a resource room that includes computers, community resources (housing, transportation, mental health services, and medical services), career exploration, and educational support. For more information, please contact the Arboretum at 657-278-4010 or www.fullertonarboretum.org End
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