[ humanity ]
OLIVIA MILLER
Youth Transition Project
There is a move-
ment taking place
in Lavalette, WV—
a movement to end
the cycle of home-
lessness, addiction,
poverty, incarceration and hopelessness
of youth who age out of the foster care
system in the Mountain State.
The Youth Transition Project (YTP)
is a public-private partnership intent on
building a pipeline of support to ensure
this vulnerable population has every
opportunity to live a full, meaningful
life. YTP is led by Stepping Stones, Inc.,
a nationally accredited, fully licensed
child welfare provider, and is supported
by a collaboration of diverse community
partners that include Marshall University;
the West Virginia Department of Educa-
tion’s Office of Diversion and Transition
Programs; Coalfield Development; the
West Virginia University Extension Service
Office in Wayne County; Unicare Health
Plan of West Virginia, Inc.; and several
area high schools and career technical
education teachers.
Susan Fry, the executive director of
Stepping Stones, has nearly four decades
of experience working with and advocat-
ing for West Virginia youth and families.
After a lifetime of fighting to change the
foster care system with few results, Fry
met with Marilynn Wrenn, chief develop-
ment officer of Coalfield Development,
and Leslie Stone, owner and operator of
Stones Strategies, LLC, to put a unique
Addressing
Foster Care’s
Aging-Out
Issue
30
WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE
plan in place for building a foundation
to support vulnerable youth. In order for
this plan to be successful, it was imper-
ative the community be fully involved.
“We’re bringing the community to
the young adults so they know the com-
munity they will be living in and they’re
already linked to it,” says Fry. “They’re
already connected to mentors, and they’ve
already developed that sense of belonging.
We hope that’s going to be the difference
between this and everything we’ve tried
in the past.”
The project’s centerpiece is a tiny home
village located on the 166-acre property
owned by Stepping Stones, Inc. in Wayne
County that will provide housing, life
skills, education, employment training
and well-being support. Two energy-
efficient and environmentally friendly tiny
homes are already under construction,
and the group hopes to have as many as
12 in the future.
Members of the community have stepped
up in large numbers to work on the village.
The first tiny home is being built by in-
mates at Pruntytown Correctional Center
who will obtain their certificate in adult
education through the process. Engineer-
ing students from Wayne High School
designed the blueprints for the second tiny
home, and construction students from
Tolsia High School are bringing it to life.
Another aspect of the project is the
1,200-square-foot greenhouse that in-
cludes 20 hydroponic tower gardens,
which will provide food security and a
certification in agriculture. Sponsored by
UniCare Health Plan of West Virginia,
Inc., the greenhouse will also provide a
space for Marshall University researchers
to lead the youth in agrotherapy, a form
of behavioral health care that incorpo-
rates agricultural training.
Additionally, the West Virginia Depart-
ment of Education’s Office of Diversion
and Transition Programs will be opening
an adult education pathway program on-
site to provide certification in agriculture,
business and construction. To provide a
well-rounded educational experience, the
West Virginia University Extension Ser-
vice Office in Wayne County will teach
healthy cooking courses, Marshall Univer-
sity’s sustainability department will offer
yoga for emotional intelligence courses to
teach self-regulation and relaxation tech-
niques to youth dealing with trauma, and
Sweet Street, a local bakery, will provide
baking classes.
According to Fry, the difference between
the YTP and past attempts to help those
who are aging out of foster care is the
community’s involvement. “You can pro-
vide somebody with a home, and you can
provide them with money and food, but if
they don’t have a sense of belonging and
if they don’t have a community, they’re
still going to struggle,” she says.
In Numbers
1 in 5 foster children who age
out of the system will become
homeless after age
Only
58% will graduate
18
19
Only ½ will be employed by age 24
Fewer than 3 percent will earn
a college degree by the age of 25
1 in 4 will be involved in
the justice system within 2 years
high school by age
of leaving the foster care system
Source: Mission West Virginia