Showing posts with label Child Protective Services. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Child Protective Services. Show all posts
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Who Will Cry For Me?
(The poem below was written by Dishundra Thomas, one of the young people with whom we work after aging out of the foster care system in Texas. The average child has experienced 8 different foster care placements prior to arriving at our one-stop-shop on Live Oak here in Dallas. CitySquare works with youth in the 19-county, Child Protective Services NE Texas Region, over 800 young people annually. I think you'll find her words to be very moving.)
Who Will Cry For Me?
Who will cry for the battered little girl inside me?
Who will cry for the painful memories others can't see?
Who will cry for the girl that continued to yell,
The girl everyone thought was doing so well?
Who will wipe the tears that run down my face?
Who will take those memories that I can't erase?
Who will cry for the little girl with no love?
Who will cry for the girl delicate as a dove?
Who will cry for me when I can't cry for myself?
Who will I turn to when I have no one else?
Can anyone see the hurt in me?
Are lives that perfect people are too blind to see?
Who will cry for the little girl torn and abused?
Who will cry for the little girl neglected and misused?
Who will cry for the little girl afraid to give her heart?
Who will cry for that same girl when her heart is torn apart?
Who will cry for hte little girl that has lost everything?
Family, friends, and maybe even her dreams?
Who will cry for the little girl who is dying inside?
Who will cry for the little girl in which I hide?
Who will cry for hte little girl who missed out on childhood?
Who will cry for the little girl that's had no good?
Will anyone cry for me? Must I continue to cry for myself?
Who will cry for me when I have no one else?
Who Will Cry For Me?
Who will cry for the battered little girl inside me?
Who will cry for the painful memories others can't see?
Who will cry for the girl that continued to yell,
The girl everyone thought was doing so well?
Who will wipe the tears that run down my face?
Who will take those memories that I can't erase?
Who will cry for the little girl with no love?
Who will cry for the girl delicate as a dove?
Who will cry for me when I can't cry for myself?
Who will I turn to when I have no one else?
Can anyone see the hurt in me?
Are lives that perfect people are too blind to see?
Who will cry for the little girl torn and abused?
Who will cry for the little girl neglected and misused?
Who will cry for the little girl afraid to give her heart?
Who will cry for that same girl when her heart is torn apart?
Who will cry for hte little girl that has lost everything?
Family, friends, and maybe even her dreams?
Who will cry for the little girl who is dying inside?
Who will cry for the little girl in which I hide?
Who will cry for hte little girl who missed out on childhood?
Who will cry for the little girl that's had no good?
Will anyone cry for me? Must I continue to cry for myself?
Who will cry for me when I have no one else?
Friday, April 13, 2012
TRAC--touching, healing, providing hope to young adults!
One of CitySquare's "signature" initiatives involves our work at the Transition Resource Action Center (TRAC). This one-stop shop of services, training and opportunity focuses all its attention on youth who "age out" of the custodial care system (otherwise known as the foster care system) in the state of Texas. What follows is a report on this important part of our work in the city and region.
TRAC works with these special youth in the 19-county, CPS Northeast Texas region that includes Montague, Wise, Denton, Collin, Tarrant, Dallas, Rockwall, Kaufman, and Navarro counties.
Facts about this population:
25% experience Homelessness before age 22
Within 12-18 months of leaving care. . .
-33% will be on some form of public assistance
-40% will not have completed high school
-50% will be unemployed
Within 18 months of leaving care. . .
-60% of young ladies will have a child outside of marriage
-70% of youth leaving foster care report a desire to attend college
-Less than 3% actually obtain a college degree
In Texas, the average youth emancipating from CPS. . .
-Was removed from their family at age 11-15
-Had 8 placements
- Had 5 CPS workers
-Spent 5 years in care
TRAC helps young adults by providing
Preparation for “Adult Living” Classes
Money Management
“Ready to Rent”
College Visits
Employment Soft Skills
Workforce Services
Skill building
Assessment
Resume help
Education advocacy
Job referral & coaching
Job skills training
Job placement with partner businesses
Housing Services and Homeless Prevention
Emergency Assistance
Emergency Shelter
Transitional Housing
Permanent Supportive Housing
Major funding sources for TRAC
• Texas Child Protective Services
• Texas Workforce Commission
• HUD
• United Way, Foundations, and Individuals
For more insight and information click here! And take a moment to watch the video that follows.
TRAC works with these special youth in the 19-county, CPS Northeast Texas region that includes Montague, Wise, Denton, Collin, Tarrant, Dallas, Rockwall, Kaufman, and Navarro counties.
Facts about this population:
25% experience Homelessness before age 22
Within 12-18 months of leaving care. . .
-33% will be on some form of public assistance
-40% will not have completed high school
-50% will be unemployed
Within 18 months of leaving care. . .
-60% of young ladies will have a child outside of marriage
-70% of youth leaving foster care report a desire to attend college
-Less than 3% actually obtain a college degree
In Texas, the average youth emancipating from CPS. . .
-Was removed from their family at age 11-15
-Had 8 placements
- Had 5 CPS workers
-Spent 5 years in care
TRAC helps young adults by providing
Preparation for “Adult Living” Classes
Money Management
“Ready to Rent”
College Visits
Employment Soft Skills
Workforce Services
Skill building
Assessment
Resume help
Education advocacy
Job referral & coaching
Job skills training
Job placement with partner businesses
Housing Services and Homeless Prevention
Emergency Assistance
Emergency Shelter
Transitional Housing
Permanent Supportive Housing
Major funding sources for TRAC
• Texas Child Protective Services
• Texas Workforce Commission
• HUD
• United Way, Foundations, and Individuals
For more insight and information click here! And take a moment to watch the video that follows.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
18 and no where to go. . .
Ever wonder what happens to children in foster care when they turn 18?
In the 19-county region we're apart of here in North Texas, over 300 of these young people "age out" when they celebrate that birthday. Every year in Dallas 150 of these foster children find themselves on their own.
That's right. Not all children who are in foster care continue in a living relationship with their foster parents.
Aging out means that the state no longer provides funds for the care of these young folks, and for many foster parents that means the children are basically on their own.
For over six years now, Central Dallas Ministries has been reaching out to these special young people. Beginning as the fiscal agent for a fairly complex community collaboration known as Target Kids in Court, CDM now offers services to these youth as a part of our daily work.
Under the creative and able leadership of Evy Kay Ritzen, our Transition Resource Action Center, located on Live Oak Street very near Downtown, is the epicenter of our activity with this special population. Today the initiative is known in our community as TRAC.
Many of these youth have lived in multiple foster families, having never been adopted. Deep-seated emotional challenges are typical.
Housing, employment, education, managing relationships and mental health concerns are typical issues.
Our Community Development Corporation has been providing housing for a number of these young men and women with more units on the drawing boards.
We partner with lots of other groups and individuals to get our work done, including Dallas County, the State of Texas, Child Protective Services, Dallas Social Venture Partners, the Meadows Foundation (who provides us our wonderful service center) and many others.
TRAC is all about touching young people who find themselves in a very difficult situation at a very young age.
The data is not very encouraging for these youth.
Over 40% of this slice of the population end up homeless and on the street or in the criminal justice system.
TRAC is all about intervention, encouragement, equipping, loving, friendship and connecting youth to opportunities and new life.
In 2006, TRAC served a total of 842 young people.
During the first quarter of 2007, TRAC touched 424 of these youth!
The growth is frightening.
This past year, thanks to the efforts of the Crystal Charity Ball, CDM received an award that allows us to partner even more deeply with CPS. The grant will allow CPS and TRAC to hire additional case managers who will focus on 14 and 15-year-old youth to assist them in developing a plan of action for life before the magic age of 18. We feel this preventive intervention strategy will propel more young people to higher levels of success, and more quickly at that.
Most people simply are not aware of the challenges facing hundreds of teens in our area.
If you'd like to connect with one of these special young people or partner with TRAC, let me hear from you.
You can visit our website at http://www.centraldallasministries.org/ to learn more.
In the 19-county region we're apart of here in North Texas, over 300 of these young people "age out" when they celebrate that birthday. Every year in Dallas 150 of these foster children find themselves on their own.
That's right. Not all children who are in foster care continue in a living relationship with their foster parents.
Aging out means that the state no longer provides funds for the care of these young folks, and for many foster parents that means the children are basically on their own.
For over six years now, Central Dallas Ministries has been reaching out to these special young people. Beginning as the fiscal agent for a fairly complex community collaboration known as Target Kids in Court, CDM now offers services to these youth as a part of our daily work.
Under the creative and able leadership of Evy Kay Ritzen, our Transition Resource Action Center, located on Live Oak Street very near Downtown, is the epicenter of our activity with this special population. Today the initiative is known in our community as TRAC.
Many of these youth have lived in multiple foster families, having never been adopted. Deep-seated emotional challenges are typical.
Housing, employment, education, managing relationships and mental health concerns are typical issues.
Our Community Development Corporation has been providing housing for a number of these young men and women with more units on the drawing boards.
We partner with lots of other groups and individuals to get our work done, including Dallas County, the State of Texas, Child Protective Services, Dallas Social Venture Partners, the Meadows Foundation (who provides us our wonderful service center) and many others.
TRAC is all about touching young people who find themselves in a very difficult situation at a very young age.
The data is not very encouraging for these youth.
Over 40% of this slice of the population end up homeless and on the street or in the criminal justice system.
TRAC is all about intervention, encouragement, equipping, loving, friendship and connecting youth to opportunities and new life.
In 2006, TRAC served a total of 842 young people.
During the first quarter of 2007, TRAC touched 424 of these youth!
The growth is frightening.
This past year, thanks to the efforts of the Crystal Charity Ball, CDM received an award that allows us to partner even more deeply with CPS. The grant will allow CPS and TRAC to hire additional case managers who will focus on 14 and 15-year-old youth to assist them in developing a plan of action for life before the magic age of 18. We feel this preventive intervention strategy will propel more young people to higher levels of success, and more quickly at that.
Most people simply are not aware of the challenges facing hundreds of teens in our area.
If you'd like to connect with one of these special young people or partner with TRAC, let me hear from you.
You can visit our website at http://www.centraldallasministries.org/ to learn more.
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