Today, we celebrate the conclusion of our True North federal grant and all of the incredible life moments that were made possible because of this opportunity!
In 2015, Children’s Harbor was awarded a $5 million grant from the Department of Health & Human Services Administration for Children and Families. We immediately launched “True North”, a 5-year program, dedicated to forging a pathway towards independence through healthy relationships and economic stability for young adults who are aging out of foster care.
“Aging out of foster care is petrifying”, said Tiffani Dhooge, President and CEO of Children’s Harbor. “Every child counts the hours until their 18th birthday…but for our kids, the thrill of being “an adult” is quickly overshadowed by the reality that they are now very much alone. True North made it possible for us to bridge the gap for our kids and provide a continuity of care so that we could continue to provide support in critical areas as they navigate through early adulthood. The program was a tremendous success, and we are so proud of the progress our ‘ka-dults’ have made”.
Throughout their experience with True North, each young adult in the program met with a mentor, referred to as a “navigator,” that was specifically focused on providing support in defined areas of focus to help them develop the skills necessary to reach their established goals. Additionally, each young adult attended monthly group sessions with a variety of lessons and workshops to build healthy relationship, financial literacy and employability skills. They were also connected to internship and employment opportunities.
Rachel Pires, Director of Independent Living at Children’s Harbor, said, “The young adults who participated in the program are the ones that made it so successful. They granted us the opportunity to be in their lives and to learn from them. They are truly inspiring, and we are excited to see them grow into independent and resilient adults.”
