(951) 674-9400
information@kamalii.org
Are you worried about what might happen to your foster teen once they reach adulthood? While 18-year-olds might legally be considered adults, they often lack the maturity and life skills necessary to thrive on their own. Most kids at this age either head off to college or continue living at home. Some may even elect to serve in the armed forces. Regardless, very few young adults these days are let loose in the world at 18 with no skills or supervision. And that doesn’t have to be the case for foster youth either!
Part of Kamali’i Family Foster Agency’s mission is to empower youth for future success. To do this we believe that foster teens need more than just a place to stay and food on the table. In addition to your continued love and support, they also need resources to help them grow into responsible, successful adults. In this blog, we offer a list of actionable steps you can take to prepare foster youth for future independence — including free programs to help them learn the necessary skills to thrive in the real world. Continue reading to learn how you can empower their future success!
1. Start at Home
The road to independence starts at home! While Kamali’i has some great programs to teach teens the skills they need to make it on their own, we also encourage resource parents to start fostering independence at a young age.
Teaching independence doesn’t mean leaving kids to fend for themselves. Quite the opposite. The best way to teach self-sufficiency is to start demonstrating important life skills at a young age. Think back to the old maxim, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
While doing everything for your kids might meet their basic needs now, it might also hamper their independence. By giving kids responsibilities and showing them how to perform basic life skills, you can promote future success. Obviously, certain tasks are only appropriate for certain age groups (sharp objects and open flames are a terrible idea for a two-year-old, but cooking is an essential life skill for teens to learn).
A good way to get started is to take young kids with you on certain errands and invite them to help with particular chores. Taking a toddler shopping or having a kindergartener assist you with cooking (under strict supervision, of course) will introduce them to the tools and processes needed for future self-care.
For older kids and teens, we recommend a chore list and allowance to teach household responsibilities and to start them on their path toward financial literacy/ independence.
2. Kamali’i Independent Living Program
HOPE Independent Living Program teaches foster youth essential life skills to help them become self-sufficient. These classes are designed to help kids from high school through young adulthood. Here kids will learn risk prevention, financial literacy, independent living skills, possible career paths, and more!
Kamali’i also provides team-building activities that allow foster youth to connect and form support networks amongst their community and peers. Classes are held about once a month and are a requirement for foster youth ages 16-21. Once participants complete their coursework, ongoing individual weekly monitoring and quarterly networking activities are provided.
Independent living classes typically start at 15, however Kamali’i believes in early intervention and welcomes youth beginning their freshman year in high school.
3. Transitional Housing
Not all young adults are ready to live independently. That’s why Kamali’i offers programs specifically designed to help foster youth navigate the transition from childhood to adulthood.
Riverside County’s transitional housing programs place former foster youth ages 18 and up in apartments with a roommate. Here, they live semi-independently while still having access to important services, like mental health resources and career guidance.
Transitional housing helps teach young adults ages 18-24 the skills they need to succeed in the real world as they transition out of foster care! Kamali’i Foster Family Agency serves transitional-aged youth with two programs:
Transitional Housing Placement for Non-Minor Dependents
- Extended foster care program for youths aged 18-21
- Furnished 2 bedroom apartments
- Participants receive a monthly stipend and savings deposits
- Access to job readiness training and support
- Individual and group therapy
- 24-hour crisis intervention and support
Transitional Housing Program – Plus
- Available to Riverside County former foster youth
- Serves youth up to 24 years old
- Furnished 2 bedroom apartments
- Participants receive a monthly stipend and savings deposits
- Access to job readiness training and support
- Individual and group therapy
- 24-hour crisis intervention and support
Both programs provide semi-independent housing and a wide range of supportive services, including case management, job training, educational support, and counseling. Participants will be placed in two bedroom, two bathroom apartments with a roommate. Apartments are located in Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Temecula.
For the Transitional Housing Program – Plus program, eligible candidates will need to fill out two applications (one with Kamali’i Family Foster Agency and one with Riverside County) accessible here: https://www.kamalii.org/transitional-housing/
Conclusion
One of your responsibilities as a resource parent is to set kids up for future success. One way to do this is to begin demonstrating basic life skills at a young age. As kids grow older and are able to take on some of these responsibilities themselves, you can introduce a chore list and allowance as a way to teach them responsibility and foster independence. Beginning in their teenage years, we recommend enrolling foster kids in Kamali’i’s Independent Living Program, where we’ll help prepare them for adulthood. For older teens and young adults who have outgrown foster care but who are not yet ready to live on their own, we offer transitional housing to help guide them from childhood to adulthood.
If you have additional questions or want to learn what resources are available to you, speak with an agency social worker at (951) 674-9400.
If you’re interested in becoming a resource parent for a foster child, you can learn more about our program here!
