Having no biological family, Simone transitioned from a foster home to the Family Care Network’s Transitional Housing Placement Program (THPP) program when she was 16 years old. When she first entered the program, Simone wanted nothing more than to find a part-time job, hang out with her friends and enjoy her last two years of high school. As a member of her high school’s softball team, Simone had made close friends with several of her teammates; the girls and their families becoming like a family to Simone. Unfortunately, actually graduating from high school was not a high priority to Simone during this time, and she put in only enough effort to maintain the minimum GPA required to play sports. But towards the end of her junior year, as her friends started looking towards graduation and college, Simone realized that she had a future too, and it needed some looking after.

While Simone’s excitement for life after high school grew, she had a lot of her fears and worries that she shared with her THPP team. Simone felt ill-prepared at only 17 years old to take care of herself after graduation. Simone and her THPP team, which included THPP staff and her previous foster parents, met and set new goals for Simone’s last year in THPP. Simone’s new goals included graduating from high school, enrolling in college, applying for scholarships and securing housing. While Simone still worried about her future, having a plan with concrete goals and supports to help her achieve them, helped to focus her energies and give her hope.

THPP staff worked diligently on helping Simone learn life skills, including how to cook, do laundry, as well as fill out financial aid and scholarship forms. Simone applied herself to her schoolwork with renewed effort, and with extra tutoring from a Family Care Network volunteer tutor, she successfully completed her senior year with all of her credits, in addition to earning a local scholarship for college. Simone’s hard work on the softball field also paid off; at the end of the school year, Simone was offered a position on a local community college’s softball team. As several of Simone’s friends were also offered positions on the team, the girls secured an apartment close to the college campus that they will share when school starts.

Simone is quick to say how thankful she is for all of the support she has received from her THPP team, and how she has many happy memories of “growing up” in THPP. While Simone is nervous to leave the caring support of THPP, she does so with a lot of excitement and confidence as well, ready to face the next phase of her life with hope.

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*names and photos of clients are ficticious to protect their identity