More than 2,000 New Mexican children live in foster care. Most of these youth have suffered from abuse, neglect, or abandonment at the hands of family members who themselves may have been experiencing incarceration, domestic violence, substance abuse or mental illness. These youth are often asked to adapt to frequent moves with little notice, educational disruption, separation from siblings, broken friendships, and stigmatization. To survive, and even thrive, in this environment, they develop a level of adaptability, self-reliance, and resilience beyond their years. Still, compared with their peers, they experience higher levels of unemployment, incarceration, homelessness, substance abuse, unwanted pregnancy, limited education, and inadequate health care. At age 18, if they have not achieved permanency through reunification, adoption or guardianship, foster kids are suddenly “aged out” of state custody and expected to live as independent adults. Like most teenagers, they are unprepared to fully master the complexities of adult living, but unlike most teenagers, they lack the family and community support needed for a successful transition.

Research consistently demonstrates that the most important components in a successful transition to adulthood are: consistent adult mentors, life skills, and a sense of self-efficacy. States differ markedly in their treatment of former foster youth; many have extended court jurisdiction until age 21 or beyond. In September 2006 New Mexico convened a statewide “summit” that favored instead the development of a youth-centered, community-based mentoring and transition support program. CASA is uniquely suited to pilot such a program, since our volunteers already develop trusting relationships with these youth until age 18 and understand their life situations and challenges.

CASA, First Judicial District is piloting a program called “Power Up” that will serve approximately 65-70 youth aged 14-21 in Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, and Los Alamos counties. In the future, the program can be expanded to support foster kids statewide as part of the New Mexico Child Advocacy Networks (NMCAN) and children of prisoners, homeless youth, and youth exiting the juvenile justice system. Specifically:

• Specially trained CASA volunteers work with the teens beginning at age 14, their caretakers, Children Youth and Families Department staff, youth attorneys, educators, and health professionals to ensure that preparation for independent living is initiated and proceeds in a timely manner.
• With additional training, these volunteers continue to mentor these youth as they transition out of state custody, helping them with a variety of challenges including housing, education, employment, health care, and finances.
• We also offer training for Youth Attorneys and foster families on these topics so that all of us can better assist these young people as they transition to the adult world.
• Along the way, we’ll continue to work with the Heart Gallery of NM Foundation and CYFD on some fun, educational, and creative projects for our teens.

Throughout this process, the CASA/mentor has two important roles: (1) to develop and maintain a mentoring relationship with the youth based on trust and respect and (2) to provide practical counsel based on knowledge of available resources and services.

A core “Power Up” staff recruits, trains, and supports these volunteers and has developed the comprehensive website www.YouthPowerUp.org with federal, state, and local resources and services, including:

• Their legal rights -- acquiring personal information, sustaining family connections, understanding permanency plan options
• Education and training -- setting goals, making educational and career plans, locating financial aid, preparing for entrance exams
• Employment -- understanding job requirements, locating job training programs, preparing job applications, interviewing, job shadowing
• Housing -- options for transitional, semi-independent, and independent living
• Life skills -- budgeting, managing money, understanding nutrition and health, building relationships, driver’s training, and basic living skills
• Psychological, physical and behavioral health -- insurance issues, behavioral health information, hotlines and information resources
• Community programs and resources -- workshops, leisure activities, creative projects, volunteer opportunities, personal and cultural identity resources, mentors and support groups

The program benefits:

• each transitioning young person directly;
• the young person’s family in helping to end the intergenerational cycle of poverty and/or child abuse and neglect;
• the overloaded court system, CYFD, and the Transition Coordinators that handle many cases and cannot provide sufficient individualized service;
• the community as a whole in terms of reduced homelessness, crime, teen pregnancy, and drug or alcohol addiction;
• and the business community by providing work-ready, educated, mature, skilled young employees.

Our goal is to provide knowledgeable, helpful CASA volunteers for these teens while they are in the system as well as long-term mentoring as they transition to adult lives.