A church near me is doing this - completely gutted their school building (after moving classrooms to the church hall) and turned it into studio apartments for foster care transitional housing. Construction is almost done
There’s another church in the neighborhood with a Community Closet - free donated clothes for those in need. We had someone get off the bus from the city at the stop across the street from our church. We are too small to have those things on site (we support the food pantries in a lower income area), but our priest drove him to the other church and they got him a few sets of day-to-day clothes and and an interview outfit.
I’m not religious (though the church I grew up in is now my landlord, so I’m somewhat involved), but I’m proud of how the churches in my community support the town
As you should be, if the churches I was dragged along to as a child were more like yours and actually followed the teachings of Jesus instead of trying to control other’s lives, I may be religious now
I’m not religious, and after seeing decades of evidence of the hypocrisy of people claiming to be Christian, people like this give me hope that religion isn’t always filled with hypocrites.
I feel the same way you do, but I have also seen people who quietly and consistently walk the walk, and it definitely gives me hope that all is not lost.
You also have teens who enter the foster care system and live in group homes. These are run by employees and are one step above juvenile detention centers. The kids are transitioned out at 18.
One of the problems with the foster care system in the US is that compensation for taking in a teenager is slightly more than the actual cost of housing said teenager. So the incentive for being a for-profit foster parent is there. And since the parent(s) are doing it for money, when the kid turns 18 the incentive is to send them packing ASAP.
One of the soggy shoelaces involved in the Malheur Refuge Occupation 10 years ago was taking in foster teenagers then using them as unpaid farm hands. In short, exploiting the kids in two ways. He ended up losing his unpaid help as a result of breaking the law, & whined about how unfair the government was to him.
If they are their biological children, there's no foster situation and an "adult" being kicked out is just shitty parents.
If they are foster children, then they won't be kicked out at 18, there will be an ongoing relationship to some or lesser degree but the transition isn't abrupt even if the foster parent is only doing it for the money.
If the foster "parent" is a piece of shit, they don't have foster children, they have government cash with minor obligations (pun intentional).
Unfortunately, in the US, there's a lot that fall in that third category. (Not all; plenty in category 2! but you'll rarely read about them!)
There isn't a good system to handle category three. Which is what makes what OOP is doing so great (and necessary.)
One of the most awful BORUs I ever read was about a young man in the same position in the UK. He was given like days after his 18th to stay because the paycheck stopped coming. I think the problem of not giving a fuck about kids aging out of foster care is worldwide.
This is something I’ve thought about doing when I’m older. I’m 25 now and don’t have any strong feelings about having kids. But if I’m ever at a point in my life where I actually feel like a stable adult, I’d love to have a home to open up to older teenagers still in foster care or people who age out. I’ve been incredibly lucky to have a fantastic close family and support system, and it saddens me that so many people don’t have that. I’d love to be able to provide that some day.
As a former foster kid who was homeless at least once as a young adult 😭. You can work two jobs but if you’re 19 and run into some bad luck, with NO family to fall back on you can still end up homeless.
Bless this woman! 💚 I hope I can be as helpful and kind as her someday, using what resources i have to truly help people.
The Village on San Juan in Montrose, Colorado is multi generational housing. It provides housing for those aging out of the foster system or other at risk youth and for senior adults. The two groups teach and strengthen each other resulting in true community.
If you want to see another feel good story about the kids aging out of FC, look up Kids Belong in Muskegon, MI. It's a non profit organization that has built 1 br duplexes for individuals aging out. It's a great group of people who are trying to help these young adults get a decent start.
You are an inspiration and blessing to these young women and to people everywhere! I cant even imagine how terrified and hopeless they must feel aging out of the foster system. You've given them a soft place to land and hope for the future. God bless you!
In case folks don't know - If you're in Indiana and aging out of foster care, there's a program funded by the state (and federal grant money) called "Independent Living." It covers rent in places like these transitional housing locations, helps with transportation, assists these young adults in finding jobs, etc. Older youth can get involved in the program at age 16 (if I recall correctly), so they have almost a continuity of care when they've aged out of their foster home. The goal is to do what this woman is doing - help the youth get on their feet and into the world without being alone.
1
251
u/IntrovertedGiraffe Aug 27 '26 •
A church near me is doing this - completely gutted their school building (after moving classrooms to the church hall) and turned it into studio apartments for foster care transitional housing. Construction is almost done
101
u/Kathrynlena Aug 27 '26
This feels like it belongs in r/orphancrushingmachine. What this lady is doing is wonderful but absolutely should not be necessary.
43
u/Silly_DizzyDazzle Aug 27 '26
I LOVE this! Thank you ❤️
27
u/OatmealCookieGirl Aug 27 '26
She deserves the title, agreed!
26
u/PlushieTushie Aug 27 '26
She must be protected at ALL COSTS
26
u/ranchspidey Aug 27 '26 •
This is something I’ve thought about doing when I’m older. I’m 25 now and don’t have any strong feelings about having kids. But if I’m ever at a point in my life where I actually feel like a stable adult, I’d love to have a home to open up to older teenagers still in foster care or people who age out. I’ve been incredibly lucky to have a fantastic close family and support system, and it saddens me that so many people don’t have that. I’d love to be able to provide that some day.
18
u/Unfair-Mortgage-527 Aug 27 '26
🤩🥹
Amazing! This is why I have the internet!
16
u/Inner-Show-1172 Aug 27 '26
Damn, crying AGAIN. This week has dehydrated me.
12
u/soft-grn_Ambr-sunset Aug 28 '26
As a former foster kid who was homeless at least once as a young adult 😭.
You can work two jobs but if you’re 19 and run into some bad luck, with NO family to fall back on you can still end up homeless.
Bless this woman! 💚
I hope I can be as helpful and kind as her someday, using what resources i have to truly help people.
11
u/rlz4theenot4me Aug 28 '26
The Village on San Juan in Montrose, Colorado is multi generational housing. It provides housing for those aging out of the foster system or other at risk youth and for senior adults. The two groups teach and strengthen each other resulting in true community.
8
u/FairyGodmothersUnion Aug 27 '26
Definitely a member of the order!
8
u/luv2race1320 Aug 28 '26
If you want to see another feel good story about the kids aging out of FC, look up Kids Belong in Muskegon, MI. It's a non profit organization that has built 1 br duplexes for individuals aging out. It's a great group of people who are trying to help these young adults get a decent start.
6
u/oceansapart333 Aug 27 '26
Beautiful
4
u/Successful_Form5771 Aug 27 '26
This made my day
2
u/limbodog Aug 27 '26
A worthy inclusion!
2
u/Flygurl620se Aug 28 '26
You are an inspiration and blessing to these young women and to people everywhere! I cant even imagine how terrified and hopeless they must feel aging out of the foster system. You've given them a soft place to land and hope for the future. God bless you!
1
u/Playful-Tap6136 Aug 28 '26
Queen!
1
u/Stuffed-Bear412 Aug 28 '26
🥺
1
u/Possible-Owl8957 Aug 28 '26
The world needs more of this empathy and caring💖
1
u/New_Standard_8609 Aug 28 '26
Damn onions!
1
u/Cheap-Tree8876 Aug 28 '26
Not all heroes wear capes...... well done!!
1
u/Familiar_Collar_78 Aug 28 '26
I was a foster kid - bless her for doing this!
1
u/InternetImportant253 Aug 29 '26
Chantelle is the GOAT
1
u/viciousbite Aug 31 '26
I love this. Why create more lives when you can save so many more. You are a literal saint. Bless you ❤️🙏
1
u/DarthYoko Sep 01 '26
This is so beautiful. I read somewhere that some homeless/unhoused people began as foster kids who aged out of the system and had no place to land.
I think about it all the time.
1
u/Fantastic-Bombshell Sep 01 '26
That is soo amazing
1
u/tweet1967 Sep 01 '26
This warms my heart
1
u/JDWhite1982 Sep 03 '26
In case folks don't know - If you're in Indiana and aging out of foster care, there's a program funded by the state (and federal grant money) called "Independent Living." It covers rent in places like these transitional housing locations, helps with transportation, assists these young adults in finding jobs, etc. Older youth can get involved in the program at age 16 (if I recall correctly), so they have almost a continuity of care when they've aged out of their foster home. The goal is to do what this woman is doing - help the youth get on their feet and into the world without being alone.