My Path Forward is a collaboration of the Children’s Home Society of Virginia, a licensed child-placing agency, and the Better Housing Coalition, a Richmond-based nonprofit community development organization.
This initiative is designed to empower at-risk youth aging out of foster care, provide them with critical social supports, and assist them as they develop into responsible, productive adults and engaged members of our communities.
My Path Forward includes housing with a roommate on campus at one of BHC’s rental communities. In addition, each youth will be assessed at the outset for their most critical needs, and both program staff and partners will provide pathways to essentials such as education, transportation, employment, counseling and life skills training.
Requirements: Each program participant must be capable of living independently in a community of apartments with a roommate. Each program participant must also be capable of becoming fully independent and self-supporting after 1-2 years in the program. Other necessary skills include: the capacity to be engaged in their education and/or career training, to work and maintain part- or full-time employment, to learn and grow, to participate fully in group activities and fun, to participate in counseling and mental health services, to observe all program rules and policies, and to comply with the youth-driven life, career, and education plans created with their case manager.
Referrals: We accept self-referrals and referrals from organizations serving young people in foster care, with prior foster care experience or who have aged out of foster care.
My Path Forward Eligibility Requirements
To be considered for My Path Forward, each applicant must:
- Have aged out of foster care or have prior foster care experience;
- Be 18-25 years old (if you are 17-20 years old and have an active case with a LDSS, please click here to submit an application for the My Path Forward/Independent Living Arrangement program);
- Demonstrate the capacity to live independently while in the program
- Demonstrate the capacity to become fully independent and self-supporting after two years in the program.
- Not be pregnant or be the custodial parent of a child;
- Have no criminal convictions reflecting acts of violence, or any other conduct or activity which establishes a pattern of violence that poses a direct threat to the health and safety of other residents; Have no criminal convictions or a pattern of behavior reflecting a pattern of crimes against property;
- Have no significant mental health challenges that require 24 hour a day supervision and redirection.
