Fairfax County Foster Care and Adoption, community partners, supporters, friends and family came together for an epic celebration of the youth in foster care who defied the odds and graduated.
According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, nationally, only 60% of youth who age out of foster care graduate from high school or get their GED by age 19, and 75% reach that milestone by age 21. Unfortunately, only 3-10% of those graduates receive a vocational certificate/license, associate or bachelor’s degree, or higher by 21 years old according to the National Youth in Transition Database.
This is all the more reason to celebrate the 14 youth who graduated from high school, four that completed a certificate or trade school program and two college graduates this year in Fairfax County Foster Care! This speaks to the incredible resilience and strength these youth have displayed in overcoming the odds to succeed. It also speaks to the dedication of so many Foster Care and Adoption practitioners and community partners who work together to help these youth overcome the odds.
The staff in our Fostering Futures Unit led the effort to plan and coordinate this monumental event. The theme this year was “The Best is Yet to Come!” reminding our graduates to celebrate their successes and continue to work towards building the life they desire.
Community Support for Our Graduates
This year our community partners outdid themselves, donating over $16,000 in food and supplies for this celebration and gifts for the graduates. Their outpouring of love and support sends a powerful message to our graduates that the community is behind them, cheering them on and encouraging them to be all they can be. Our generous sponsors included:
Project Belong, Don’t Go Alone
McLean Bible Church
New Hope Church
First AME Church of Manassas
Bernie L. Bates Foundation
Psi Alpha Alpha Chapter, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Hands and Hearts Reaching Out
Natasha Noel-Shankey
TAGGED
“This is the largest graduating class and the highest number of donations that Fairfax County has had for the graduation celebration! We would not be able to support our youth without the continued support of such a great community. We have watched many of these youth struggle along the way and show growth and dedication that surpasses their peers. I was incredibly proud to look at them all during the event and think about what they did to make it here. This is a group of youth who will change the world!” Tamie Tanner, a practitioner with the Fairfax County Fostering Futures Unit.
This article posting is part of the Foster Family News monthly newsletter designed to keep foster parents informed about all the new and notable happenings in Fairfax County.
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