How Do We Help Foster Youth, Specifically?
How it Works
When youth enter The Cracked Pot program they are connected with the Youth Program Director and a team of individuals who work with them from day one.
This team includes a licensed therapist, a life coach who helps them reach their program goals, and a mentor who helps them become part of the Cracked Pot community. These individuals begin to bring a sense of normalcy and consistency to their lives.
There are 5 core objectives that we’ve determined every youth needs in order to find their footing as they transition into independent living. They are:
Mental Wellness, Housing, Financial Literacy, Transportation, and Job Skills.
Mental Wellness
These young adults usually come from significant trauma, abuse, and/or neglect. Their mental health is key to ensuring they feel safe enough to continue our program. Each youth is required to attend therapy by a licensed counselor while they are in the program, and we provide this resource to them.
Housing:
A young adult who has no credit or rental history and no parent to co-sign hits a series of roadblocks that too often can’t be overcome. This leaves them on the streets or in shelters. When a youth enters the program, a big priority of ours is to help them find housing by reaching out to the Cracked Pot community and, if necessary, paying for their hotel until a more permanent solution can be found.
Financial Literacy
Just because a young adult has a place to live does not mean they have been taught the necessary skills to live independently. Our Program Director and their coaches walk through how to open a checking & savings account, save for rent, pay bills, set money aside for groceries, and save for large purchases.