All young adults need a safe place to live. This is especially true for young adults aging out of foster/kinship care. Like other young adults, they also need a high school diploma, health care, access to higher education and quality employment to become self-sufficient and productive adults.

The path from young adult to adulthood is a rocky one for all youth. Unfortunately for those aging out of foster care, the path is steeper and full of numerous pitfalls. They need a long-term commitment from a loving, safe and supportive adult to help them overcome the challenges they face.

Young adults who have aged out of foster/kinship care have experienced more trauma than their peers who have a family support network. As a result, they are more likely to experience depression, commit suicide, end up homeless, be unemployed, drop out of school and fall victim to substance abuse.

West Virginia leads the nation in the number of children per capita in foster care, with 6,369 in state care. In 2021, 229 West Virginia youth aged out of the foster care system.

In August, a new nonprofit was established in Charleston to assist young adults in successfully transitioning out of foster care by providing a safe and supportive space and connection to a caring network of supports, services and partners. First Presbyterian Church Hope Center’s belief is that all young adults should have the opportunity to realize their greatest potential and shape a successful future.

FPC Hope Center’s first program is a pilot project with the Mission West Virginia Bridge Program. The Bridge Program assists high school students who are in foster care to develop the skills to pursue a post-secondary education plan. In the 2021-22 school year, the Bridge Program graduated 25 high school seniors. Of the 25 students, 15 are attending college, six are entering the workforce, one joined the U.S. Marine Corps and three are attending Job Corps.

FPC Hope Center is recruiting a network of responsible mentors to support the Bridge Program graduates through life’s road ahead. Research has shown that former foster youth who can rely on an ongoing, committed relationship with an adult fare better in navigating the challenges of early adulthood. They tend to persist in education, remain employed and participate more fully in their communities as adults.

The center also will provide training for the young adults in such areas as life skills, financial planning and study skills, in addition to offering resources such as professional tutoring and needed education supplies. Based on their interest, the center will establish a professional network of employers and job-shadowing opportunities.

If you have an interest in supporting a young adult see the hope in themselves, please join us for a short training session on Feb. 28 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Room 412 of the First Presbyterian Church in Charleston, at 16 Leon Sullivan Way. If you have questions, call 304-343-8961.

Becky Ceperley is president of the First Presbyterian Church Hope Center and a member of the Charleston City Council.