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