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Community Connections Youth Project helps young adults find their way

Posted at 4:22 PM, May 26, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-26 17:46:07-04

Growing up as a foster child your life can change constantly and instantly.

In just the Kansas City metro area, nearly 3,600 children are in the system and many ‘age out’ before finding a permanent family.

May is National Foster Care Month, a time to bring attention to the needs of children and youth looking for stability.

Foster Adopt Connect created the Community Connections Youth Project to focus on young adults who have aged out of the system.

Teamed up with an advisor, they can now face challenges they may not have been prepared for.

"It can be anything from helping them find a job to helping them get out of an eviction or finding an apartment. Also helping them get back into school if that's what they're interested in, finish their GED," said Nathan Ross, Youth Program Supervisor.  

Not only are the advisors there to offer support, but they also understand the situation these young adults are going through.

"I was about 3 or 4 years old when I came into care; it was due to abuse and neglect by the hands of my mother," said LaChelle Simpson, Community Connections Youth Specialist.

Jessica Funk, also a Community Connections Youth Specialist, said, "I lived out of a duffel bag. I literally had my backpack and like a bag of clothes."

Supervisors, all with a story of their own. Every one of them is a former foster youth.

"We all have been there," said Kandice Jackson, Community Connections Youth Supervisor. 

Having been there before they know how to best help.

"It's really exciting to know that we've been able to serve that many young people, but it's also a little disheartening to realize that there are still that many young people out in the world who are struggling," Ross said. 

June 1 marks the one year anniversary of the Community Connections Youth Project. Since then, the location in Independence, Missouri has served 80 young adults.

"So we added additional members for our KC team and then we started a team in our Springfield branch as well," Ross said. "Between the two teams, we've served over 110 young people in our first year."

CCYP targets current and former foster youth ages 17 to 26.

The program said its goal is to continue bridging the gap in services for young people transitioning from foster care to independence.

They also hope to lift their spirits.

"It's one of my goals to try to encourage them not to be so negative, so sad, so just discouraged about life," Jackson said.