By: Laura Ginsberg

The 25th Judicial Circuit's family court program hopes to make a difference in the lives of youth through its Transitioning Youth Initiative program, which pairs young adults leaving the foster care system with CASA volunteers from the community.

The goal of the Transitioning Initiative is to help youth "aging out" of the foster care system find the support they need to become successful. Many of these young adults have promising futures, but fail without a support system.

Statistics provided by Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of South Central Missouri show that: Fewer than half of emancipated foster youth have graduated from high school, compared to with 85 percent of all 18 to 24 year olds Almost two thirds of emancipated foster youth have not maintained employment for a year; Fewer than one in five emancipated foster youth earns enough income to be self-supporting; Fewer than one in eight emancipated foster youth has graduated from a four-year college; One fourth of emancipated foster youth have endured some period of homelessness; More than a quarter of males emancipated from foster care have spent time in jail; By age 19, nearly half of all young women in foster care have been pregnant, compared to a fifth of their peers not in foster care.

"We want these youth to learn to be self-sufficient, and we want to help them stay afloat during their transition to adulthood," said Judy Waters, program director for CASA of South Central Missouri. "We want to move them away from the system at a time when they can feel confident that they can be productive members of society."

A primary duty of the CASA volunteer is to help guide youth aging out of foster care through the maze of post-secondary education, including ensuring they receive the funding they are entitled to, and that they file the necessary paperwork.

However, hopes are that volunteers will be much more to the youth they help. Not only do young adults coming out of foster need help to earn an education -- like all children, they need someone to support them while they do it.

With no family, many emancipated foster youth have nowhere to go during the holidays when student housing closes, no one to turn to when times get tough and no one with which to celebrate their achievements. CASA volunteers who are willing to make a commitment can be that person to a child trying to better their life.

"CASA volunteers" are the people who are there, making sure these young adults get what they need," Waters said.

Youth identified for the program must voluntarily agree to participate. They will be responsible for designing their program and accepting responsibility for achieving their independence. Young adults in the program also will be expected to put together a report on their progress every six months.

In return, the 25th Judicial Circuit hopes the Transitioning Youth Initiative program will provide participating youth with new levels of confidence, the ability to be self-sufficient, the ability to continue to grow, and will empower them to think for themselves while decreasing their chances of juvenile delinquency.

Volunteers interested in making a difference in the life of a young adult are needed. All volunteers must be 21 years or older, complete screening requirements, be able to devote time to 30 hours of training and 12 hours of continuing education each year, and be strong verbal and written communicators.

Becoming a CASA volunteer takes time and devotion, and a commitment of one to five years is required. A good candidate for a transitioning foster youth is someone who is committed to their responsibilities, accepts the duties of advocating and offering guidance to a young adult, is able to establish a rapport with the youth they follow and models a commitment to personal growth.

Those interested in volunteering with this transitional program in the 25th Judicial Circuit, comprised of Texas, Maries, Phelps and Pulaskim counties, should contact Waters at 573-458-6244 or casaphel@fidnet.com. For more information, visit the CASA Web site at www.casascmo.org.