FCAA Ohio members Lamar Graham, DC Curry, Nicole Chinn and Lisa Dickson had a wonderful time facilitating our first independent living class of the fall at Village Network.

Activities included:

• Tour of the Heart to Heart Food Pantry
• Stocking the shelves
• Learning about how to navigate the COTA bus schedule online
• Learning how to search for resources on Hands On Central Ohio's website

Share YOUR Voice on Foster Care to 21

LINK-22 ~ an FCAA Ohio Ally Organization

http://www.starfishalliance.org/join/ 

FCAA Ohio hosts OHIO YAB Officers Bootcamp

The Ohio chapter of Foster Care Alumni of America was honored to facilitate the OHIO Youth Advisory Board's first Office Bootcamp.

Training topics included:

1. Officer Professionalism
2. Public Speaking 
3. Effective Advocacy

Youth participants did a wonderful job...

Passport to Success conference in Cincinnati

The Passport to Success conference at the University of Cincinnati was a huge success. Kudos to the University of Cincinnati, HEMI, Hamilton County Job and Family Services, Hamilton County Connecting the Dots, and many other sponsors and supporters of this worthwhile event.

Foster Care Alumni of America's Ohio chapter facilitated the Suits for Success area.

• Suits for Success provides professional attire to current and former foster youth who are entering -- or hoping to enter -- the workforce. This program was created in 2011 by the Ohio State Bar Foundation and the Ohio chapter of Foster Care Alumni of America, and was initially launched during the statewide 2011 Career and Entrepreneurship conference for Ohio foster care youth and alumni.

• Foster care alumni served as alumni role models. They not only helped foster youth try on clothing, but also shared first-hand knowledge of resources and encouraging each participating young person to take full advantage of every resource made available to them. Conference facilitators commented on the effectiveness and positive nature of this approach.

Teening Up for Success Conference in NE Ohio

Northeast Ohio foster care youth and alumni greatly enjoyed participating in the Teening Up for Success conference, hosted by Stark and Lorain counties. The Ohio chapter of Foster Care Alumni of America led two workshops on "Resources and Relationships to Help Youth Succeed."

Youth and Alumni Voices During the OFCA Conference

The Ohio Family Care Association hosts an annual statewide conference for resource parents, including foster, adoptive, kinship, respite and even some biological parents.

The Ohio chapter of Foster Care Alumni of America had the honor of facilitating the resource panel for foster parents. Panelists included three foster care youth, two foster care alumni and three organizational representatives from Ohio Reach, Capital Law School's Foster Youth Advocacy Clinic and the Ohio Benefit Bank.

The focus was on resources to support teens in foster care before and during their transition into young adulthood.

Youth and alumni did a wonderful job during the OFCA conference:

• They presented themselves in a professional manner 
• They were positive in the delivery of their message 
• They were well-prepared, and the time they took to prepare led to their message being effective 

The ally presenters from Ohio Reach, Capital Law School and the Ohio Benefit Bank were knowledgeable and informative, and the resources they shared were relevant to the presentation, and well-received by the audience.

Foster parents were very receptive, and post-panel conversations were productive. Several foster parents expressed interest in taking youth in their care (ages 15+) to upcoming teen conferences.

 

2014 OFCA Panel - updated PPT from Lisa Dickson