Mentor a Youth in Foster Care

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When a foster youth ages out of care, at age 18, they often lack the experience and knowledge to live on their own and are at high risk for dropping out of school, homelessness, unemployment, early parenthood, and crime. Volunteers willing to commit approximately 10 hours each month, serving as a transition coach, could drastically change all this.

A Transition Coach is a caring, responsible, adult volunteer who serves as a trusted friend and guide to a youth, currently living in foster care, who is close to aging out of the system. The primary role of the Transition Coach is to determine what skills and resources are needed for the youth they are matched with to successfully transition out of foster care to independent living. The coach helps to ensure that the youth develops important academic and life skills, sets goals to achieve those skills, monitors goals, is exposed to new opportunities and a wide array of resources, makes positive life choices, stays in school, and graduates with a plan for pursuing post-secondary education and/or employment.

Volunteers are matched with a youth, age 16 or older. They meet with the youth in their current placement or in some other agreed upon public place. The volunteer and youth develop a meeting schedule that works for them. Youth live across greater Houston and all surrounding areas. Training and ongoing support are provided.