• For the young people that “age out” of foster care each year, the transition to self-sufficiency requires a strong safety net of support services.
• RFL is a brand new organization formed by volunteers solely to help foster youth make this difficult transition. We intend to be a communications link between youth and the resources available to assist them.
• RFL believes that youth should have a voice in and be a resource for our program.
• RFL intends to provide a platform to facilitate interaction between youth, service providers and community individuals to improve the transition process.
• RFL will identify areas in which their community can develop new services and strengthen existing services to provide a comprehensive system to support youth transitioning from care.
• RFL will promote collaboration among agencies and encourage youth involvement in program planning.

• For the young people that “age out” of foster care each year, the transition to self-sufficiency requires a strong safety net of support services.
• RFL is a brand new organization formed by volunteers solely to help foster youth make this difficult transition. We intend to be a communications link between youth and the resources available to assist them.
• RFL believes that youth should have a voice in and be a resource for our program.
• RFL intends to provide a platform to facilitate interaction between youth, service providers and community individuals to improve the transition process.
• RFL will identify areas in which their community can develop new services and strengthen existing services to provide a comprehensive system to support youth transitioning from care.
• RFL will promote collaboration among agencies and encourage youth involvement in program planning.

Ready for Life asked teens who were turning 18 during the summer of 2009 to record their thoughts and experiences pertaining to aging out of out-of-home placement.

Some of the specifics the youth were asked to discuss included experiences with the processes of meeting their basic needs, such as locating and maintaining housing, finding employment, transportation and managing their finances.  The project also asked the subjects who were in foster care to look back and provide insight on their overall experience with the system.

Click here to see a preliminary analysis of the completed journals.

Ready for Life asked teens who were turning 18 during the summer of 2009 to record their thoughts and experiences pertaining to aging out of out-of-home placement.

Some of the specifics the youth were asked to discuss included experiences with the processes of meeting their basic needs, such as locating and maintaining housing, finding employment, transportation and managing their finances.  The project also asked the subjects who were in foster care to look back and provide insight on their overall experience with the system.

Click here to see a preliminary analysis of the completed journals.