Ohio is reeling from some very bad news when it comes to state investment in child protection and youth preparation for adulthood. Our best response is a collaborative one. Please be aware of the following Ohio-based collaborative initiatives:
1.) Ohio Reach is a statewide effort to address recruitment and retention of emancipated foster youth in Ohio’s higher education system and establish foster care liaisons at Ohio universities and community colleges: http://ohioreach.wikispaces.com/
2.) OACCA's Independent Living Legislative Committees include subcommittees on higher education, housing, healthcare/Medicaid, mentoring, transportation and the workforce: www.oacca.org/initiatives.html
In light of recent budget cuts, it is all the more important to connect young people who are "aging out" of foster care - in the midst of a recession - with a forever community.
Please make every effort to connect today's foster care youth and young adults with the OHIO Youth Advisory Board, and to transport them to statewide quarterly meetings. They need and deserve peer support and a voice regarding statewide policy and procedure.
This deeply matters to all of us.
When it comes to Ohio foster care alumni- we remember the jolt that took place in our lives when we realized that we had been emancipated, we were terminated, we were a closed case. The transition was over, and we needed to fend for ourselves.
This is one of many reasons why we maintained our stance in advocating for the Independent Living Allocation throughout this budget process, and will continue to rally for this cause,
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