Suites being prepped for young adults emerging from foster care
Posted June 12, 2014 11:42 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (NEWS1130) – A lot of criticism has been levelled at our foster care system, which provides care for kids only until they are 19 years old.
But a local non-profit organization is aiming to make the transition into adulthood a lot less traumatic.
SOS Children’s Village BC is building units in Surrey to house teenagers who are emerging from the foster care system. The units will be basement suites located in homes that are already part of the SOS village in Surrey.
SOS’s William Brennan says teenagers emerging from the foster care system are rarely prepared to live on their own.
“Often times they end up on the streets, or going from couch to couch. What this would do is provide them a stable place to transition into adulthood where they can get support,” he notes.
He says the accommodation will be accompanied by programming to help the young adults develop life skills.
“Some of them don’t know about basic nutrition, or what your rights are when you’re renting.”
Programs SOS provides include coaching on such things as money management and self-care.
SOS hopes to raise the necessary $250,000 by the end of the year to complete the suites.
The SOS village in Surrey consists of five homes, which house trained foster parents and children needing care.
