Transitioning Well - Helping Young Adults Aging Out of Foster Care

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Transitioning Well is A Red Circle's summer series designed to provide young adults with the tools they need to successfully transfer out of foster care. Weekly Saturday sessions will begin June 1 and end July 27, with a break on July 6 for the 4th of July weekend.

June 1 & 8 - Holistic Living

Session 1 - Practical life decisions such as life on the outside of the home. We have some concrete material such as how to open a bank account, credit, getting an apartment, etc., but we’ll also use this session to be flexible and allow the discussion to center around the kids’ concerns. We will encourage and affirm the kids, and provide them with information and resources.

Session 2 - Wellness, health, and nutrition. Choosing a doctor and dentist, safe sex, family planning, and healthy eating. We will stress how important these topics are in the black community. We will also briefly cover insurance. Finally, we will prepare a healthy meal and do some short exercises and stretches. Great stress relief.

June 15 & 22 - Education

Session 1 - Choices of and the benefits of attending college. We will include examples from successful Blacks, in and around the area. We will discuss college-readiness and answer questions about financial aid and other school choices. Completing college applications, FAFSA forms, and continue to affirm their value and answer any questions or concerns they have.

Session 2 - Life skills, practical applications in adulting, learning the tools to live independently

June 29 - Employment

Session 1 - Job readiness, and the cost of living. Will work one on one with the kids and complete job applications, prepare resumes, all while helping them hone in on describing their skills. We will discuss professionalism and set up email addresses, and inform them of our interview clothes closet. (Outside of the Saturday session, I and other volunteers, will secure commitments from local companies to interview the kids.)

July 6 - Holiday Break

July 13 - Employment (continued)

Session 2 - The workplace. Coming to work on time, handling workplace grievances, the importance of working hard and smart, and how to properly leave a job.

July 20- Policy

Voting, the new ID law, registering the kids to vote, relaying why voting is so important especially for blacks. We will give a short tutorial on policy and how voting and policy actually affect our community more in local elections than in national ones.

July 29 - Arts

Music, arts and crafts, and wrap up the summer with questions, thoughts, and an invitation to keep in touch.