The Hub585 is launching a test program to house young people aging out of foster care and provide them with a cushion as they transition into adulthood.
During a news conference Thursday, state Sen. Jeremy Cooney said he had secured $300,000 for the organization to buy and rehab a single-family house in the city of Rochester that will be used as transitional housing for six young women in foster care.
“Our youth need stability, they need hope, and they need a sense of belonging,” said Ashley Cross, founder of The Hub585. “When youth age out of foster care, they instantly lose access to nearly every form of support.”
The Hub585, which provides education and support programs for youths who are in foster care or who have experienced trauma, plans to employ a full-time foster parent to live at the house and care for the residents. The foster parent will be licensed by Monroe County.
The residents will receive various forms of support, from assistance in getting their driver’s licenses to learning how to cook balanced meals. They’ll also receive services such as tutoring and mentoring.
“It is my hope that this program will be so successful that we can replicate this in counties across the state of New York,” Cooney said. “And ultimately, that is about helping more children.”
Last year, 31 young people between 18 and 21 years old aged out of Monroe County’s foster care system. In 2021, the number was even higher at 55.
When many of these youths age out, they find themselves with nowhere to go and little support for their transition. Some end up homeless.
County Executive Adam Bello says the project is about reaching young people at a critical time in their lives and connecting them with someone who will help them. The county will help administer the initiative, which Bello framed as a good example of bringing government services into the community.
“We need to be able to wrap our support systems of love and help around these young people who have a bright future ahead of them, but they need that help, they need that connection with services but also with supportive adults,” Bello said.
Cross said The Hub585 hopes to open the transitional home in July.
