Mentoring Kids 18-21

Mentors for this age group provide foster teens with emotional support and assistance in learning life skills as they transition from foster care to an independent life of their own.

Did you know how to study for a test or apply to college? Do you remember wanting your first car, looking for a part-time job or your first apartment?

Simple things that seem easy or straightforward to you now may appear to be a complete mystery to a young person, especially to a youth who is in foster care.

One of the most critical needs in our community is for mentors to support foster teens age 18 and older. Upon celebrating their 18th birthday, foster teens "age out" of the foster care system. For some, the State continues to provide them with monthly financial support for housing and food, but without a caring adult to guide and encourage them, they are often set up for failure.

Mentors can provide their mentees with an experienced friend who is there to help them succeed in any number of situations.

• Mentors can help teens create, maintain and live on a budget.
• Mentors can provide assistance with apartment and/or car shopping.
• Mentors can help youth learn how to cook and do laundry.
• Mentors can help older teens set career goals and start taking steps to realize them.
• Mentors can teach youth how to relate well to a variety of people and help them strengthen communication skills.
• Mentors can use their personal contacts to help older teens network with industry professionals, find internships and locate job possibilities.
• Mentors can introduce older teens to professional resources and organizations they may not know about.
• Mentors can help their teens learn how to seek and keep jobs.

The number of ways mentoring can help a foster teen are as diverse as the people themselves. While the statistics are impressive, personal stories can have an even greater impact. Take a look at our mentoring success stories to see how mentoring works from different perspectives.

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• about mentoring
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• kids 18-21
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• FAQs
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