Building Bridges Fostering Foster Kids

1. Building Bridges Fostering Foster Kids Lynette Splinter Janet Matta Laura Cummings Katie Taylor Connie Brown

2. Roadmap • Project overview • Review individual interviews • Overarching best practices • Final conclusions

3. Project Overview • Project Description • Project Inspiration • Why this audience • 47% earning at or below poverty level wages (within 1 year emancipation) • 50% unemployed after 4 years • Over 70% of former foster youth surveyed want to attend college but do not have resources or know of resources to attend • Overall former foster youth are twice as likely to have mental health problems than other college students • Project components

4. Program Interviews Janet Matta- Western Washington University Connie Brown- Western Michigan University Lynette Splinter- Seattle University Katie Taylor- Seattle Central Community College Laura Cummings- Pierce College

5. Fostering Scholars - Seattle University • Program began in academic year 2006 with 7 students (including some transfer students). • Currently have 19 students. • Marta DellaGasparina founded the program to establish a pathway for foster children to attend SU. • Work with Treehouse to identify and inform students about the program. • Program received a start up grant of $450,000 from the Stuart Foundation. • SU agreed to continue after the end of the 3 year grant. • Scholarship funding comes from private donors. • Must apply and be admitted to Seattle University. • Complete a separate application. It is competitive but right now all students who have applied for the program have received funding.

6. Components of program • Scholarship covers tuition, books, housing, board and personal expenses. • Using standard student budget. • Students have year round housing in the dorms. • Counseling services are offered and students can request long term counseling if they need and want it. • Advising services is the same as for other students (with a little extra). • Colleen Montoya, Director, is the point person for the program and sees students many times during the year for advising issues along with other issues. • Career Development – working to build a program. • Student do meet with the private donors to network and for mentorship. • Looking at ways to make it less formalized and for students to find mentors they want instead of being matched up.

7. Best Practices • Need a dedicated staff person to build relations. • Students need to have trust in a person and reassurance of stability. • Research other programs and manuals, such as the Stuart Foundation. • Year round housing is critically important. • If a school cannot provide year-round housing, then must find other options for students. • Peer mentorship. Use current students to help incoming students. • Staff should be about 1 to 25 students. • Any more need additional staff to help provide necessary services. • Ensure that there is buy-in from the top to continue funding. • Work with University to secure donors. • May need to stretch policies (keep within fairness) to accommodate individual needs.

8. Western Washington University • Student Outreach Services – includes Foster youth • Students self-identify • Small program: 3-5 students currently • Most have scholarships and help through Governors’ Scholars, Passport to College program • Program services relatively new

9. Western Washington University • Student Outreach Services provides: • Quarterly advising • Early move-in • Activities through the SOS center • Special financial-aid counselor • Drop-in support • Peer mentoring • Programs are offered in conjunction with many other state programs and scholarships for specific populations • Web: http://www.wwu.edu/depts/sos/

10. Pierce Community CollegeCharacteristics • Specific services initiated due to state mandate • Completely unfunded • Based in the Outreach Office • Began in Summer 2007 with two students - now 30-50 students

11. Pierce Community CollegeBest Practices • “Serve as best as we can” • Develop and maintain partnerships on and off campus • Be able to refer students to appropriate services • Provide sense of stability for students • Be available and accessible for students

13. Program History & Funding • Financial Aid workers explored opportunities to support foster kids, found roughly 245 that might qualify. • Started in the fall quarter of 2007-08. • Entire program is currently funded by a three-year Casey grant and $10,000 from Homestreet Bank. Future funding is yet to be determined.

14. Services & Structure • Interim Director, Program Assistant, and two work study students pulled from the served population. • 49 students currently enrolled. • Tuition and fee assistance • Books and supplies • Housing • Career counseling • Mental and physical health care • Child care • Tutoring • Bus passes • Mentoring

15. SCCC Best Practices • Mission: “Help provide any support former foster care students need to be successful in higher education.” • Clarify goals. • Build a level of knowledge and confidence in higher education so they know how to navigate the system. • Cultivate independence. • Act in the stead of the parent, in loco parentis.

16. Western Michigan Universityhttp://www.wmich.edu/fyit/index.html

17. Program Summary • The overall goal • Increase opportunities for young people who have “aged out” of foster care to pursue higher education • Provide supports that promote success and well-being throughout the undergraduate experience • Initiated Summer 2007 • First students Fall Quarter 2008 • 51 Students enrolled • Why this initiative?

18. Best Practices • Student Outreach and Recruitment • Student Retention and Well-being • Tuition/Books/Room/Board (Seita Scholars) • Work-study opportunities on campus • Year-round campus living • Mentoring • Academic tutoring • Student networking • Counseling • Life skill workshops (e.g., banking, budgeting, time management), • Advocacy and assistance with navigating multiple bureaucracies and counseling needs related to family and foster care experiences. • Student Career Transition and Graduation • Efforts toward career planning will begin early in their academic careers

19. Class Participation • Now that you are experts. • What do you think the common best practices are?

20. Overarching Best Practices • Student Lounge/Space • Scholarship Funding • Tuition & Books • Room & Board • Transportation & Personal Expenses • Student Insurances • Child Care • Year Round Housing Availability • “Point Person” • Counseling Services • Career Services • Communications • Personal life skills • Mentors • Admissions Process • Program Cap & Expansion (1:25 ratio) • Experienced Foster Kids- mentor program for incoming students • Partner with outreach programs • Quality vs. Equity • Transitioning Services • Into college • Out of college

21. Final Conclusions • Future direction • Future resources • Future research • Student appreciation & testimonials