Our Mobility Mentoring program helps young people who have aged out of foster care, at either 18 or 21, by providing sustained support in the form of coaching, financial assistance and access to community resources. The participants set goals related to education, finance, mental and social wellbeing, and employment, and the Mobility Mentoring Specialist works with them to ensure the goals remain achievable. The paths of young people without family support can be filled with unexpected obstacles and crises. The Mobility Mentoring program equips these young adults with the skills they need to navigate these challenges, as you will read in the stories we are sharing with you.

Resilience in the Face of Challenges

In and out of foster care since she was a teenager, 20-year-old Elena is bright and ambitious with big dreams. A single mother, her goal is to earn a bachelors degree, and she has been a part of the Mobility Mentoring program for nearly four years. She works at a restaurant and pays the rent on an apartment for her and her son. She had almost completed her second year of college when a family crisis forced her to put her education on hold. Her mother, who has long suffered from the disease of addiction, relapsed and subsequently lost custody of Elena’s younger siblings. Elena couldn’t bear to see her brother and sister enter foster care, and she devoted herself to becoming their kinship legal guardian. They now live with her and her son, and Elena is dedicating her energy to provide them with a loving home environment while working full time. Our Mobility Mentoring Specialist is helping Elena adjust her goals to better meet the needs of her current situation. Elena is planning to enroll in cosmetology school with the goal of a stable career in the personal care sector.

Persevering Over Obstacles

Brianna was removed from her home at the age of 11. Her mother struggled with substance abuse, and she has not been a part of Brianna’s life in many years. Brianna became pregnant when she was 16 and dropped out of high school. She became a part of the Mobility Mentoring program with the goal of earning her high school diploma. The Mobility Mentoring Specialist spent a lot of time researching and identifying a high school that would work with the unique needs of a teen mother. The high school Brianna attended offered the flexibility she needed to care for her baby and focus on her studies, and she earned her diploma within a year. She then worked for a year to save for an apartment, and left foster care to live with her partner and their child. They are wonderful parents who work opposite shifts so they can provide for their son, spend time with him and save on child care expenses. Brianna’s goal has expanded to include earning a college degree, and she is currently working full-time and attending college with a major in social work. She continues to be a participant in Mobility Mentoring and dreams of one day using her experiences to help children in foster care.

Reconciling Childhood Trauma

Ava is bright, ambitious and a hard worker, but she was deeply impacted by terrible events that happened during her childhood in Syria. When she was 11 years old, she witnessed her mother’s murder. She then left her home for the long journey to the United States. For two years, she lived with her cousin, but Ava’s temper and behavioral issues, a result of the trauma she endured, made caring for her difficult. She entered foster care at age 13 and has had many years of therapy to help her come to terms with her past. She became a part of our Mobility Mentoring program after graduating high school, and our Mobility Mentoring Specialist worked closely with her on demonstrating appropriate behaviors in school and work environments. Ava was interested in the healthcare field, and her goal was to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. With mentoring, financial support and her own determination to succeed, she passed The National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses and currently works full-time in a hospital. A graduate of Mobility Mentoring, Ava has her own apartment and recently purchased her first car.