Why this concert?
May 7, 2008 by jamforyouth
The Northern Express has a great article titled Foster Kids: Forced to Grow Up Fast by Anne Stanton that explains why we’re having this concert.
May is National Foster Care Month in recognition of the 513,000 kids placed in foster care nationally due to abuse, neglect or sudden crises. Look for blue ribbons this month tied on trees—symbolizing the attempt to end child abuse. This article focuses on kids aging out of the system at the age of 18—about 20,000 kids across the country each year. A program called Michigan Youth Opportunities Initiative helps them out…
The MYOI program—based in Traverse City and serving a 10-county area—is so effective that it has turned the dismal statistics upside-right. Of the 44 college-age youth who are involved, more than half are enrolled in a trade school or college.
The program has one downfall—it isn’t helping nearly the number it could. A total of 98 youth are in MYOI, a fraction of the foster kids who are aging out of the program in the 10-county area. Dedenbach is trying various strategies to pull them in, including working with other agencies that serve foster care youth.
MYOI, however, has tightly coordinated its efforts with Child and Family Services, a nonprofit that offers adoption and foster care services. It offers many support services, including an “elements” program for foster kids up to the age of 18.
There’s a whole bunch more that you can read right here and visit our home page at jamforyouth.com for details on our May 29, 2008 benefit concert!
