Latest news with #FosterCareAwarenessMonth
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Thrifted Thursday: Mental Health, Foster Care Awareness Month
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — May is Foster Care Awareness Month and Mental Health Awareness Month. WSAV's resident thriftologist Sharon Simpson and foster parent Ernestine Purdey joined WSAV's Tina Tyus-Shaw to discuss foster care and how it affects children's mental health. Get thrifting tips from Simpson each week at 5:30 p.m. or at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Wire
7 days ago
- General
- Business Wire
64 Percent More Foster Students Graduate from Learn4Life High Schools
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Only half of youth in foster care in the U.S. will graduate high school – and within the first year, 20 percent will be homeless and 25 percent will be incarcerated. A startling 71 percent of girls will be pregnant by age 21. 1 Learn4Life, a network of 80+ public high schools, has a far different story to tell. Their graduation rate for foster youth is 82 percent – and even during the pandemic was at 80 percent – yet traditional high schools hover at 50 percent. The answers – personalized learning, flexibility and consistent support from the school counseling and student services staff – according to Jaspreet Kaur, school counseling coordinator at Learn4Life. 'Many foster students have experienced frequent school changes and are significantly behind in credits. That's why we begin by evaluating their strengths and learning styles to develop a personalized education plan,' she explained. 'Flexibility is key, as these students often face unstable living situations and other challenges. We allow them to schedule their coursework and teacher meetings in a way that fits their unique circumstances.' Learn4Life has a lower student-to-school counselor ratio that most schools, allowing them to spend more time with each student and provide the help they need – academically, emotionally and in planning their future. 'Foster students often fall through the cracks in traditional high schools, which typically lack the capacity to offer personalized support,' she said. 'In fact, foster youth are suspended or expelled at three times the rate of their peers. Our model is different; we have a very low suspension rate. Since our approach resembles a college setting with a focus on independent study, students aren't pressured to keep pace with others, which reduces frustration. As a result, we rarely see the behavioral issues that are common in more traditional high school environments.' May is Foster Care Awareness Month, a time to focus on foster families and the challenges the youth face. Kaur points out that most of their lives they have dealt with uncertainty, found themselves in horrible situations through no fault of their own. Plus, since they move around frequently, they're often the new kid in school which leads to bullying. 'We understand that it's going to be hard for any student to focus on school when they're home life is lacking stability,' she said. 'Our schools often become a second home to all our students.' Kaur says that Learn4Life keeps in touch with all its students for two or more years after they graduate, to help them find community resources, apply for financial aid or scholarships, enroll in college or trade school and anything they can to help them make the transition into adulthood. 'Career technical education (CTE) in high school is especially important for foster youths, since at the age of 18 or 21 in some states, they likely will be on their own financially,' she added. Current statistics show 50 percent of foster youths as unemployed by age 24. 1 'We want to help them find a career path long before that,' she said. 'Learn4Life schools offer CTE pathways in an array of careers, such as nursing and dental assistants, culinary, construction, IT, media arts and even robotics.'
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
64 Percent More Foster Students Graduate from Learn4Life High Schools
Personalized learning, flexibility and extra counseling among the reasons LOS ANGELES, May 28, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Only half of youth in foster care in the U.S. will graduate high school – and within the first year, 20 percent will be homeless and 25 percent will be incarcerated. A startling 71 percent of girls will be pregnant by age 21.1 Learn4Life, a network of 80+ public high schools, has a far different story to tell. Their graduation rate for foster youth is 82 percent – and even during the pandemic was at 80 percent – yet traditional high schools hover at 50 percent. The answers – personalized learning, flexibility and consistent support from the school counseling and student services staff – according to Jaspreet Kaur, school counseling coordinator at Learn4Life. "Many foster students have experienced frequent school changes and are significantly behind in credits. That's why we begin by evaluating their strengths and learning styles to develop a personalized education plan," she explained. "Flexibility is key, as these students often face unstable living situations and other challenges. We allow them to schedule their coursework and teacher meetings in a way that fits their unique circumstances." Learn4Life has a lower student-to-school counselor ratio that most schools, allowing them to spend more time with each student and provide the help they need – academically, emotionally and in planning their future. "Foster students often fall through the cracks in traditional high schools, which typically lack the capacity to offer personalized support," she said. "In fact, foster youth are suspended or expelled at three times the rate of their peers. Our model is different; we have a very low suspension rate. Since our approach resembles a college setting with a focus on independent study, students aren't pressured to keep pace with others, which reduces frustration. As a result, we rarely see the behavioral issues that are common in more traditional high school environments." May is Foster Care Awareness Month, a time to focus on foster families and the challenges the youth face. Kaur points out that most of their lives they have dealt with uncertainty, found themselves in horrible situations through no fault of their own. Plus, since they move around frequently, they're often the new kid in school which leads to bullying. "We understand that it's going to be hard for any student to focus on school when they're home life is lacking stability," she said. "Our schools often become a second home to all our students." Kaur says that Learn4Life keeps in touch with all its students for two or more years after they graduate, to help them find community resources, apply for financial aid or scholarships, enroll in college or trade school and anything they can to help them make the transition into adulthood. "Career technical education (CTE) in high school is especially important for foster youths, since at the age of 18 or 21 in some states, they likely will be on their own financially," she added. Current statistics show 50 percent of foster youths as unemployed by age 24.1 "We want to help them find a career path long before that," she said. "Learn4Life schools offer CTE pathways in an array of careers, such as nursing and dental assistants, culinary, construction, IT, media arts and even robotics." For more information about Learn4Life and its personalized learning model, visit 1 View source version on Contacts Ann Abajianpr@ 559-903-7893 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Local organization looks for more foster parents to help meet growing need
ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) – May is Foster Care Awareness Month, and organizations like Commonwealth Catholic Charities (CCC) are looking for more foster parents in the area. There are about 400,000 children in foster care nationwide. According to data from the Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS), more than 5,600 children are in foster care in Virginia as of May 1st. That is higher than it was at the same time last year. In Roanoke City, 264 children are in foster care, which is the second highest total of any Virginia locality. CCC has provided foster care services in the area since the 1980s and wants more people to sign up to help lower those numbers. Youngkin signs bills designed to improve foster care in Virginia 'I believe that every child should have a safe, loving, healthy home,' Caroline Stanfill, a foster parent with CCC for the past 2.5 years, said. 'Every child in our community should, and I think that if we all come together and pitch in, we can definitely make sure that happens for every kid that's in foster care.' Stanfill mentioned how rewarding it is to build relationships with the kids and watch them develop in a safe environment. With that said, the job does not come without challenges. 'We don't know when a child might come into care, and we don't know when a child will leave care or where they'll be going,' Stanfill said. 'There are a lot of unknowns that we have to be flexible and settle into.' About 58% of foster children in both Roanoke and Virginia are 10 years old or older. With CCC, people interested can choose the age group that best fits their home. 'Some will say they want little ones, and some people would rather have a teenager who may be a little bit more independent in some of the tasks of daily living,' Stanfill said. 'For me, I love children of all ages, and I've worked with children of all ages.' One of the big requirements to foster a child with CCC is having a clean, safe home with enough room for someone else. More information and requirements can be found on the organization's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Greenfield professor receives 2025 Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship
GREENFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Greenfield Community College is celebrating a major academic honor as Associate Professor of History Alyssa Arnell has been awarded a 2025 Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship. The national award, granted by the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), recognizes 45 doctoral students across the country who are breaking new ground in humanities and social sciences research. All Our Kids launches Foster Care Awareness Campaign during Foster Care Awareness Month Arnell's selection from a pool of nearly 900 applicants highlights the significance of her work, which examines the 1962 removal of Fazendeville–a historically Black community near New Orleans–to expand the Chalmette National Battlefield. Her dissertation focuses on how historical preservationists and political leaders invoked patriotic narratives to justify the displacement of a self-sustaining and politically active community, ultimately challenging conventional interpretations of democracy and historical memory in the U.S. 'We are incredibly proud of Alyssa's recognition and her contribution to both our academic community and historical scholarship,' said Dr. Michelle Schutt, President of Greenfield Community College. 'Her work embodies the college's commitment to equity and excellence in education.' The Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship was launched in 2023 with a mission to support scholars who are taking risks and introducing novel approaches in their dissertation research. In addition to a stipend, the fellowship provides funding for research expenses and professional development, enabling recipients to push boundaries in their academic fields. Alison Chang, ACLS Program Officer in US Programs, praised this year's cohort of fellows. 'ACLS is proud to support these fellows, who are poised to conduct groundbreaking dissertation research and broaden the audience for humanistic scholarship,' Chang said. Arnell, who serves as both Associate Professor of History and Chair of the History Department at GCC, is widely respected for her emphasis on inclusive historical inquiry. Under her leadership, the college has expanded its curriculum to include courses in civil rights history, Indigenous studies, and queer history. She is also a participant in the Mellon-funded Five Colleges Building Academic Leadership in the Humanities initiative. Her scholarly work and campus leadership have earned Arnell multiple accolades, including the African American Female Professor Award and GCC's Martin Luther King Jr. Living the Dream Award. For more information on the Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship, visit Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP.
