Navigating Adulthood: Nurturing Youth Towards Independence and Personal Success

Through supportive and innovative programs, youth 15-23 years of age learn essential life skills to encourage their successful transition to independence, while providing a sense of belonging, family and home. Programs provide youth with opportunities to maintain connections with their FACS family and socialize with other young people who have spent time in care, who share similar experiences.

Learning life skills for long-term success

FACS Niagara’s Transitional Youth Team works closely with youth aged 15 – 23 as they prepare for the challenging transition from foster care to living independently in the community. Youth are mentored in areas such as household management, financial literacy, and healthy relationships. They are connected to supports in the community who can assist with their physical and mental health and provide employment and housing support after they leave care. Bi-weekly group workshops help youth gain confidence in a variety of life skills including banking, budgeting, filing taxes, home maintenance, shopping for groceries, laundry, and cooking.

Home for the Holidays

Young people who have spent time in foster care have experienced more challenges than typical people their age. As a result, they may not have the traditional relationships with family that provide a consistent place to spend each holiday.

Home for the Holidays events are opportunities for youth who are in care, or who have transitioned to independent living to ‘come home’ to FACS to celebrate major holidays. Home for the Holidays events take place five times a year. Youth are served a hearty meal (and there are always lots of leftovers to take home!), they receive household items, and during the holiday season, they all leave with a laundry basket full of gifts picked out just for them.

Youth experience a sense of belonging and connection by attending these events as they socialize with other young people who share similar experiences and interact with agency staff whom they have known for many years. These opportunities in which they receive words of encouragement, warm hugs and a chance to connect, fosters resiliency in our young people as we know that connection to even just one caring adult enhances resiliency in youth. These events also allow staff an opportunity to demonstrate caring – one of the FACS’s core values.