Family Focus Adoptions Services
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GATE PROGRAM
RELATIONSHIPS ARE DECISIONS 

ANOTHER NEW PROGAM, ANOTHER NEW KIND OF WORKER

Family Focus has launched an exciting new program that provides services for kids transitioning into adulthood without a family. The pilot for this program began on September 1, 2019.

We have named it the GATE Program - Growing Adults Through Empowerment. The program serves as a gateway through which “children” in the RAD! Program, who are aging out of care, will pass on their path to becoming independent adults.

Of course, as with the RAD! Program, another new kind of worker was required to fill a role that didn’t currently exist in “the system.” So in addition to continuing the relationship that the kids already have with their Future Worker, we have created the GATE Worker. This position follows the one child/one worker model of our RAD! program, wherein each GATE Worker has a caseload of one “client.” They will work 40 hours a month, visiting with their clients in person on their own schedules. They will also attend our monthly RAD! Staff Meetings, and take the same training that our applicant families and staff take.

The main function of the GATE Worker is to teach the kids the “practical stuff” - how to shop for food, how to manage money, how to access public transportation, etc. But along with this, the key dynamic of the relationship between the child and the GATE Worker will be fighting the “alone-ness” that these young adults often feel when getting closer to aging out without a family.

The program is for kids who are currently a part of our RAD! Program, and who are not signing out of care - which they are able to do after age 18. As long as the kids continue to remain connected to their home counties, and commit to full-time school, work, or a combination of both, we will support this crucial transition with a GATE Worker, who will stand with them as they learn to navigate the necessary skills of adult living, and gradually become able and to confidently take over managing these everyday responsibilities themselves.

We know that as usual, we are going to learn from the pilot of this program, as it grows and we adapt it along the way to serve the needs of our GATE young adults.

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