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Texas State Representative Susan King passionately speaks about the need for transitional services to link foster youth and struggling young adults to help in the community.
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| BCFS Executive Director Terri Hipps is surrounded by speaker Britney Martinez and representatives from the Abilene Chamber of Commerce to officially cut the ribbon opening Abilene’s first youth transition center. |
State and local leaders today joined together to celebrate the grand opening of Abilene’s first youth transition center, operated by non-profit BCFS Health and Human Services. Transition centers are “one stop shops” that offer case management, counseling, housing, employment placement, educational support, and life skills training to struggling young adults.
At the grand opening ceremony, Britney Martinez shared her story of how the transition center has already made a difference in her life. After trying for four years to earn her GED but never quite being able to get over transportation and financial hurdles, the 22-year old mother of two finally received the push and support she needed to reach her goal. Last month, Dru Pruitt, BCFS’ Education/Career Specialist at its new Abilene Transition Center, drove Martinez to the GED testing site, helped her register, and paid the examination fee. Now, Pruitt and the transition center team are working with Martinez to refine her resume so she can land a job and explore future educational opportunities.
In its first year, the Abilene Transition Center will serve approximately 150 youth who are at-risk, aging out of foster care, returning home from juvenile justice institutions, or coping with other challenges, such as homelessness. The center houses and partners with government and community organizations to ensure comprehensive, yet non-duplicated, services that help youth become independent and law-abiding adults. It is funded through grants offered by local, state and federal agencies, as well as private foundations and donations.
“Making the transition into adulthood is a big step for every young adult; but it can be even tougher for those who do not have a strong support network to look to for guidance and assistance,” said Terri Hipps, BCFS Executive Director of Teen and Youth Services. “This center is going to make a tremendous difference in the lives of struggling youth who, for too long, have gone without services. Plus, it will pay great dividends to the community by providing struggling youth strong, positive alternatives to crime, substance abuse and homelessness.”
Within 18 months of aging out of the state foster care system, 50 percent of youth become homeless. Similarly, more than half the young adults returning home from juvenile justice institutions suffer from a mental health issue or have a problem with substance abuse. Taylor County has approximately 280 youth in state care and struggles with a high rate of truancy and other delinquent behaviors. At the beginning of the school year, Abilene Independent School District reported 750 homeless students. BCFS’ transition center addresses these issues head-on, providing an easily-accessible and comprehensive network that makes getting help simple for at-risk youth.
“The Abilene Transition Center brings a long awaited dimension of private/public collaboration to address the range of issues faced by youth leaving the foster care system and struggling with other difficult challenges,” said Representative Susan King. “With this opportunity for enhancing the potential for success for at-risk individuals, BCFS and other local champions for this dream and now reality should be applauded.”
BCFS is a national leader in transitional living services. More than a decade ago, BCFS helped establish Texas’ first transition center in San Antonio. The organization was also the first to operate a rural transition program for foster youth in Kerrville. Today, BCFS operates multiple transition centers throughout the state and is a resource to every young adult moving out of foster care into life on their own.
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