This program assists young adults, aged 17-21, who have transitioned, or are transitioning, out of foster care. This program is designed to fully prepare transitioning youth for successful careers and lives after foster care. It helps each youth focus on their future through the development of a concrete and realistic plan that guides each individual’s educational, career and personal goals. The project’s staff is committed to guiding each youth in the development and implementation of their future plans by offering direct counseling, remediation, training, supportive and follow-up services and referrals to community resources. 

This is where you can help.
  We are looking for individuals and businesses to get involved in supporting our program participants with goods and services.



The participants in our program currently need connections to resources in the following areas:




    

  •  Jobs Opportunities that will help the young adults gain experience and build their resume, while helping them meet their budget needs.


  •  Transportation 

      

    • We need volunteers to drive participants to appointments

    •  Cars for use during drivers tests

    • Donations of used cars for our youth

    

  • Affordable Housing We are looking for landlords to offer apartments at a reasonable price, or even homeowners who want to rent a room.


  • Medical and Professional Services Professionals in all fields willing to donate their services.


  • Mentors We hope to match the youth with caring adults on an as needed basis.  Volunteers will get to select how they would like to help.


  • Incentive Items Items for the program to give to youth for participation through a structured incentive program.


  • Dress Clothing All sizes, women and men’s.


  • New Clothing All sizes from infant to adult.


  • Quality Household Goods New small applicances, furniture, kitchen gadgets, basically the things you would needed to set up a house hold.


  • Books Young adult, children’s, and popular fiction.


  • Storage Space In case we have the good fortune of collecting more items than we can immediately distribute.






Click here if you can help..


		
			
	

	

		
			
				
		
			
	

	

		
			
				
		
			
	

	

		
			
				
		
			
	

	

		
			
				
		
			
	

	

		
			
				
		
			
	

	

		
			
				
		
			
	










May is National Foster Care Month




Pictures from the May 6, 2005 press conference.










SEMCA Executive Director, Jack O’Reilly, welcomed everyone to the press conference.







Wayne County Executive, Robert Ficano, spoke about the opportunities that this program will bring to the youth.











Daedra McGhee (right), a representative from the governor’s office gave Jessica Lindsey (left), community liason for the program an award of recognition for all of her hard work as a foster youth advocate.







Senator Martha Scott, a native of Highland Park, spoke about the positive impact that this program will have on her community.











Jessica Lindsey, community liaison for the program, spoke about her own personal experience in the foster care system and what she envisions for this program.







Sean Blume, project facilitator, highlighted the challenges foster care youth are facing, and how this program will support and guide the youth aging out of the foster care system in Wayne County. 











Jerome Rutland, from the Wayne County Department of Human Services, spoke about the partnerships involved in this program.







The room was filled with people concerned about the youth in need of support. 











Janisse Stewart represented the Detroit Employment and Training Department (a Michigan Works! agency). She thanked all of the partnering agencies for their involvement in this exciting new program. 







Antoinette Wirth, Vice President of Employment and Training Designs, Inc, the provider for the Foster Youth Demonstration Program, thanked the staff for all of their hard work setting up this new program.