Dane Co. investing in transitional living for those aging out of foster care
The county will fund the project and Urban Triage will oversee the Roth Street facility. Dane County, Wisconsin, is investing funds into a new transitional living facility for young adults who are aging out of foster care. The facility will be specifically intended for those who are transitioning from foster care to live in a safe and stable home environment. The initiative aims to bridge the gap between foster care and permanent housing. The county will fund the project and Urban Triage will oversee the Roth Street facility. The program will provide peer support housing, navigation, workforce development, leadership development and trauma recovery on site. Participants will be moved to permanent housing within two years of their transitional living.
Publicerad : 4 veckor sedan förbi Shaina Nijhawan i
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Dane County is investing funds into a new transitional living facility that is specifically meant to support young adults who are aging out of foster care.
Madison native Brandi Grayson grew up in foster care. She says there were many resources available to youth at the time.
“There was outside resources, there was community centers, there was neighborhood moms and neighborhood coaches, and neighborhood programs and bootstrap, and NIP (Neighborhood Impact Program) and all kind of programs that we were all involved in that really kept us out of trouble.”
Grayson is now the CEO of Urban Triage, a nonprofit on a mission to empower Black families through community leadership, advocacy and educational opportunities. She says since she grew up, a lot of funding has been cut and resources are harder to find.
“We are seeing the consequences of that in terms of community violence, gang violence. Youth that we work with often say, ‘There’s nothing for us to do. There’s nowhere for us to go. The adults don’t listen, school isn’t made for us.’”
Dane County leaders have also noticed a trend. In a press release, county executive Joe Parisi announced a new initiative, a transitional living program for young adults. The resource is meant to bridge the gap between foster care and permanent housing.
“Young people need and deserve a safe and stable home environment as they make the transition from foster care to the community,” County Executive Parisi said. “This will make a tremendous difference in the lives of young adults as they learn how to prepare for the workforce, manage finances, connect to stable housing, care for their health, all while building a network of support.”
Grayson says six youth will be moved into a Madison home where they will be provided with peer support housing, navigation, workforce development, leadership development and trauma recovery on site.
The county will fund the project and Urban Triage will oversee the Roth Street facility. Grayson looking to bring back tools that were once available to her.
“Our partnership with the county has been one of the best partnerships we’ve ever had from being able to advocate for our clients and our community and being heard.”
Participants will move to safe, permanent housing within two years of their time in transitional living, according to the county. They will be required to save money in advance to support the move.
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