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RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ARTICLE: A BETTER CHANCE TO GROW UP AND SUCCEED

Virginia ranks last in the country for the percentage of our children who age out of foster care without being adopted. The challenges facing these children are great, but not insurmountable. In fact, research shows that when youth aging out of foster care are offered access to vital supports like stable, affordable housing, education, and lifelong connections to caring adults, they fare much better on their individual paths to independence.

Doing nothing is expensive. According to the Jim Casey Initiative, the price of the status quo amounts to $300,000 per youth, per year. That’s a total cost of more than $154 million for the 500 who are aging out in Virginia this year alone. There are less costly, more effective options.

That’s why CHS is partnering with the Better Housing Coalition (BHC), a Richmond-based nonprofit community development organization, to change the trajectory of these children’s lives and break the cycle of poverty for the long term. Both organizations enjoy a long history of successful outcomes for the clients they serve.

Entitled The Possibilities Project, this groundbreaking 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.

To learn more, view the full article: http://www.richmond.com/opinion/their-opinion/guest-columnists/article_a97dcece-f1f7-5ed8-841c-fa47dd17fdcc.html?mode=story