V.O.I.C.E.S. provides emancipating foster youth with a comprehensive array of individual support services, opportunities for leadership and community development and structured initiatives that require a commitment over time and are focused on meeting a specific set of needs. Examples of current initiatives include:
SOURCES – Youth Employment Initiative
Fifteen young people between the ages of 16 and 24 are currently employed as V.O.I.C.E.S. staff at three different levels of responsibility. At an entry level, seven youth are employed as interns to work 10 hours per month, staffing and coordinating a range of ongoing events; at the mid-level, five youth are employed 10 hours per week to perform secretarial and administrative duties; at the highest level, three youth are employed for 25 hours per week as Staff Assistants. In addition to opportunities for 15 V.O.I.C.E.S. youth staff, V.O.I.C.E.S. is partnering with local government and non-profit agencies and with Job Connection, the Napa County job placement agency, to develop a range of training and placement opportunities for up to 75 transitional youth. Through these partnerships, youth learn about the world of non-profit work, hold internships and receive job training and employment support services geared to people ages 16 to 24.
PLACES – Youth Housing Initiative
On The Move and the Progress Foundation are collaborating to provide PLACES, a transitional youth housing initiative. This initiative is designed to support emancipated foster youth, ages 18-24, in their transition into self-sufficiency. Over the course of two years, PLACES participants will be responsible for a growing amount of rent and living expenses, until housing subsidies expire at the end of their 24th month. PLACES participants food aid, a micro-loan for moving and daily living expenses, and monthly rent subsidies beginning at 80%. To ensure that participants are prepared to stand on their own after two years, all participants will develop a detailed Transitional Independent Living Plan, meet regularly with an individual Life Skills Coach, and participate in weekly facilitated Roommate Communication sessions. In addition, PLACES participants will receive independent living skills training, college and vocational counseling, personal finance and money management training, job placement support, mental health services, and ongoing peer and professional support.
CHOICES – Continuing Post-High School Education Initiative
Through the CHOICES program, V.O.I.C.E.S. staff and partners encourage and support foster youth through each stage of the higher education experience. This process begins by helping these young adults to think beyond survival and to recognize that college is a genuine option and is critical to future employment. Through a strong partnership with Napa Valley College, V.O.I.C.E.S. members can access on-site staff to simplify the enrollment process. A V.O.I.C.E.S. college counselor is available to help youth apply for scholarships and devise a viable financial plan. Once enrolled, youth continue to receive support, including assistance navigating the community college system and tutoring in a range of subjects. Though many V.O.I.C.E.S. members will ultimately require four-year degrees to reach their personal and professional goals, CHOICES is built upon the completion of a two-year Associate Arts degree from Napa Valley College. In addition, CHOICES participants benefit from opportunities to gain college credit through partnerships with the Napa County R.O.P. Program and the Napa County Department of Rehabilitation.
