Aging Out Housing Program
The transition to adulthood can be a difficult one. Southern Cross Campus Inc is providing a program to house youth who have aged out of the foster care system.
What is Aging Out?
Foster care is a system designed to help children under the age of 18 find the housing and care they need. When a child in the foster system turns 18, they stop receiving benefits from the foster care system. This is known as ‘aging out’ of foster care.
If a youth has been placed with a foster family, that family may choose to let them remain living with them after aging out. However, many foster children find themselves in a position where they no longer have a place to call home and must make a rapid transition into adulthood. Southern Cross Campus Inc is helping to ease this transition by offering housing and services specifically for youth who have aged out of the foster care system.
What Does Our Aging Out Housing Program Do?
Southern Cross Campus Inc is providing housing and supplemental services to youth who have aged out of the foster care system, helping them transition to independent adulthood.
Youth receive:
- A fully furnished apartment with a single-occupancy bedroom.
- Weekly check-ins from Southern Cross Campus Inc staff to ensure they have everything they need.
- Assistance in learning life skills and connecting with appropriate programs.
Youth live on their own with roommates as they navigate adulthood. Southern Cross Campus Inc staff will be there to guide them and provide resources, ensuring they never have to feel alone.
Who Does Our Aging Out Housing Program Serve?
Our program serves youth ages 18 to 23 who have aged out of the foster care system. Housing will be provided for both single youth and youth who are parenting young children. Placements will be determined with assistance from local housing and child welfare agencies.
The first homes opened through our Aging Out Housing Program are located in Charlotte County, Florida. We give priority to youth from this area. As our program expands, we anticipate having homes in other locations as well. Feel free to contact us for more information.
A Peek Inside
Our triplex in Port Charlotte, Florida, is a beautiful property that can accommodate five former foster youth. It includes two two-bedroom apartments and one studio apartment.
How You Can Help Aging Out Youth
We need you! Southern Cross Campus Inc is accepting donations to help furnish homes for youth aging out of the foster care system. We currently have one triplex and will be opening new homes soon. We are accepting both monetary donations and donations of new or like-new items. See the list below to find out what items we need (to print the list click here ).
We also have an Amazon Wish List to make it easy to donate the items that our aging out foster youth need! Purchase the items from the comfort of your home and Amazon will ship the items right to us.
If you have questions or would like to donate items, please contact info@southerncrosscampus.org . Southern Cross Campus Inc is an official 501(c)3 non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductible.
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