The Salvation Army Is Helping Teens Who Age Out Of Foster Care
In partnership with Saint Francis Church, the Salvation Army is launching a new program in Lubbock for teens that have aged out of foster care.
The new program is called "Passage," and it will provide young adults room and board, job training, mentorship and support in pursuing higher education. KAMC News reports that it also teaches teens life skills like saving, planning and goal setting.
Covenant House reports that over 25% of kids that age out of foster care wind up homeless within 2 to 4 years.
Erica Hitt, Salvation Army's Director of Social Work, says that there has been a need for a program to help teens transition into the real world. She said:
One of the struggles that I had, was these individuals are so much like children. Most of them had not completed high school. So they would come here it just turns into this vicious cycle, to where it’s a revolving door for them.
Once they get to our program, we basically work on education, getting them paired up with employment, [looking at the] barriers that they may have that are preventing them from being able to sustain on their own.
If you'd like to donate to the Salvation Army, you can do so at their website or by calling 806-765-9434.