THE TEEN PROJECT - Transitional Housing and Drop In

To provide teens aging out of the foster care system with all of the resources and support of an intact family. To allow the greatest opportunity for a successful transition to adulthood.

The Transition from adolescence to adulthood is a difficult transition, even with an intact family structure. Recent studies have shown that the average young person must rely on parental support during this transitional period, and do not actually become self-sufficient until age 26. By contrast, youth exiting the foster care systems do not have this option; they are cut off from their sole support system at age 18.

Where most teens are entering this time of their life with a sense of awe and opportunity, foster kids are left in a state of desperation. Without a home to return to, they often sleep on couches, in cars or turn themselves in to the local homeless shelter. For these kids the future is bleak.

We are a volunteer centric organization. We have one employee paid by a direct grant. We have a team of over 30 committed volunteers working on this project on a daily basis, business owners, executives, system kids and caring community members.

The number of homeless emancipated foster youth in the United States is a growing epidemic that must be treated aggressively. To adress the magnitude of the problem, THE TEEN PROJECT has many components, Sober College Housing, The PAD Database and the Teen Project Shelter Collaboration, The Meeting Places Program and the National Mission. THE TEEN PROJECT protocol seeks to address the issue on all levels. There are 25,000 teens exiting the system each year to homelessness. We are a parent to the parentless, bringing them home.

Foster ends at 18. Foster care services end abruptly and these kids are forced to leave the only home they know. Most do not have a plan or a place to live. Truth of the matter is that anyone being put on the street without money, shelter or a job would have a rough time, but because of their age and mental state these kids lack knowledge necessary to rebound from this tragedy.

In most cases they leave foster care with little or no sustainable life-plan, and without the ability to reenter care. The foster parents are not obligated to prepare them and due to legal issues and deep budget cuts, their social workers are limited to what they can provide and must cut contact when they leave.

Their chances are slim. They end up couch hopping with friends. In the long run, lacking parental support or guidance, the result is reliance on reactive services - homeless shelters, jails and the welfare system.

The Teen Project picks up where the laws fall short, giving these kids a chance at life. We believe taking them from their abusive parents, telling them they are "safe" now in foster care and dumping them on the street at an age where most young adults are about to begin the most exciting journey of their life, is double dipping on the abuse.

THE TEEN PROJECT provides housing, college funding and a sober living curriculum for emancipated foster youth ranging from 16 to 24 years of age. We give these motivated young adults independence, personal and career guidance and family support.

Each of our youth is attending full time college or trade school. The Teen Project augments their school funding by raising money for scholarships. They are provided with an automobile program, yoga, cooking classes, tutoring, financial planning, tennis and participate in mission trips and outreach to those less fortunate. The Teen Project supports their educational dreams - from Fashion Institute to Design and Merchandising, to Medical School, to CNC Machinist, we bring their dreams back to life.

Many of the youth that we serve suffer from PTSD at rates five times higher than that of US war veterans. Many also have suffered severe child abuse which is also associated with greater risks of substance abuse. Adolescents who are physically abused are 6 to 12 times more likely to have problems with alcohol and drugs, and youth who are sexually abused are 18 to 21 times more likely to abuse substances (Dube et al., 2001). All of these are major factors we consider to effectively help our foster youth succeed and get their lives on track.

Our goal is to create a full service protocol that demonstrates a superior outcome. This can then provide a model that can be accepted as a standard amongst providers improving overall statistics.

Why are we different? Unlike most programs, we offer a sober living curriculum. The sober living portion of our housing is instrumental. The majority of our youth are genetically predisposed to addiction. Engaging in chemical dependency will sabatoge all efforts.

The PAD, named Protection & Direction, by our youth is a simplified website for teens on the streets to obtain access to shelters regardless of location. The database is accompanied by an 800 number, so that we can help them with transportation to a safe shelter. The PAD database currently lists 4000 shelters throughout the nation. It is our goal that it will list 20,000 shelters by 2/2012 and we will have an Ambassador in each state to contact when in need.

Failure of reentry is due to of lack of resources. Most of these kids lack a phone or have the knowledge to know "who" to call. When they do get access to a local program, long interview processes and lack of transportation often costs them. Ultimately they sleep in parks, alleys and in all night diners.

The PAD is pushed out to MYSPACE and FACEBOOK to reach kids where they live. Our studies show that homeless youth contact friends and family through free internet access, primarily in libraries. We bring the services to the kids where today's teens live, on the net.

The Teen Project is working with people in other states to help them start new programs by providing free mentoring and sharing all of documentation - 501C3 applications, Business Plans, Program Plans, Grant Writing tips and Resources, Web Development Tools. We tell others what has worked and was hasn't.

Our GOAL is to have an Ambassador in each of the 52 states by 2012. The Ambassadors will provide communication and resources to youth seeking shelter in their home state. .

OliveCrest is one organization that is partnering with the THE TEEN PROJECT to develop a vast directory of meeting places throughout our where our youth can build solid relationships. Our volunteers meet youth on a consistent basis at regular meeting places to provide resources such as bus cards, food card and shelter access.

HOW ARE OUR KIDS DOING?

• In California, an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 youth are homeless and living on the streets.

• A National study reported that more than 1 in 5 youth who arrived at shelters came directly from foster care.

• More than 1 in 4 had been in foster care in the previous year (National Association of Social Workers).

• Studies across the nation indicate that between 24 and 50% of former foster care/probation youth become homeless within 18 months of leaving the system (California Department of Social Services).

• 25% of those in prison were once in foster care.

Studies of California’s former foster youth found that:

• 65% emancipate without a place to live.

• Less than 3% go to college.

• 51% are unemployed.

• Emancipated females are 4 times more likely to receive public assistance than the general population.

• In any given year, foster children comprise less than 0.3% of the state’s population, and yet 40% of persons living in homeless shelters are former foster children.

• 70% of 17 year-olds in foster care express a desire to go to college.

• 54% will finish high school • 2% will earn a college degree.

Young people (ages 6-21) are 23% of the population but 100% of the future.

THE TEEN PROJECT was a founded by Lauri Burns in response to her overwhelming feeling that no matter how many teens she fostered, it was never enough. Lauri's dream has always been that no teen should ever be without a home or a family. Lauri's vision is very clear that “system” teens will be provided with all of the resources and amenities that "normal" kids have.

A product of the system, she emancipated at 18 and was homeless. After exhausting all resources, she survived on the streets. Lauri is the visionary that turned her life around. She is now a successful businesswoman, has fostered 25 teens and is a published author.

The Teen Project will provide housing for the homeless foster youth that have been turned out to the streets, raise the standards of transitional housing programs to ensure each child has a higher education and impact the laws that allow foster youth to continue to be turned out onto the streets.

The Teen Project team is a group of volunteers consisting of foster children, emancipated foster youth, executives, business owners and concerned members of the community committed to tackling the cause. The Teen Project is a prototype for transitional housing that we are replicating throughout the US. We are clear that a "housing development" is good, but not a solution.

Given the magnitude of the problem, we must bring all resources together and work together to change the lives of these children in the US.