January is National Mentor Month – but KidsPeace’s Cherished Connections Mentoring Program needs mentors all year around. Often, a young person in foster care has limited to no connections or people to support them. But through Cherished Connections, we can match a youth with a mentor that can provide support now and hopefully in the future.
Nationwide, almost 30,000 youth age-out of foster care annually without a connection to a family or a supportive network of caring adults. Without the emotional and financial support of parents, relatives, and other supportive adults and a solid plan for their future, these youth face difficult odds as they transition to adulthood.
In Pennsylvania, about 1,000 youth age out of foster care each year. According to the PA Juvenile Law Center, these young people risk facing homelessness, exposure to or involvement in the criminal justice system, and reliance on public assistance.
With the support of the KidsPeace Foundation, we introduced Cherished Connections Mentoring Program in 2023. The program strives to match current fostered youth and aftercare youth from Columbia County, ages 14-21, with a positive, caring adult in the community to coach them in life skills, be a “listening ear”, introduce them to new opportunities, empower them to make responsible decisions, and spend time pursuing activities of shared interest. Cherished Connections Mentoring Program recognizes that quality mentoring can play a role in assisting youth to succeed in areas of development like academic achievement, employment, reducing youth violence, and so much more.
KidsPeace contracts with Columbia County Children and Youth to provide Independent Living Services. Independent Living Services are voluntary; if a youth expresses an interest in having a mentor, they will be matched with one. Mentees have experienced some type of abuse, abandonment, trauma, out-of-home placement, neglect and mental illness.
Mentors are expected to complete an application, interview, receive all clearances, complete a medical appraisal, supply reference contacts and motor vehicle information and report to orientation training. KidsPeace staff will also be available for support.
The KidsPeace Cherished Connections Mentoring Program will continue to evolve as we learn more about what our youth and mentors need. So far it has been challenging to find people willing to volunteer their time to our youth. We currently work with 26 youth that are currently in foster care or were once a fostered youth, providing independent living services. Just this week, we received our first application for a mentor – but there remains a great need and we are looking for mentors to grow the program!
We are asking for a year commitment and at least 2 visits a month with the youth. KidsPeace was also awarded a grant from Berwick Community Giving Foundation which will assist with the limited financial obligations of being a mentor.
In closing, “Every child who winds up doing well has had at least one stable and committed relationship with a supportive adult.” (Harvard University)
Kelly Little is Assistant PA State Manager for KidsPeace Foster Care and Community Programs. For more information about the Cherished Connections Mentoring Program, email her at Kelly.little@kidspeace.org
