Transitional Housing Red Bluff CA | I have been asked many times by both surprised county social workers and youth THP participants, “Why do you give a second chance?” and have heard statements like, “You can just put in a discharge notice on the youth, you don’t have to put up with this.” But we do and here’s why.

What is Transitional Housing Red Bluff CA?

Transitional Housing was designed to be a program that supported foster youth as they moved towards independence. This program was created because the foster youth would age out at 18 as legal adults and quickly become homeless, incarcerated, alone and parenting, or quite possibly even dead. It was horrible and sad that because a youth turned one day older, they suddenly did not need any help or support. In some cases, their biological families were suddenly considered well enough to take care of them and so, AB12 was started.

Today we are able to help put these youth into apartments and guide them towards learning independence. They have a support system and a safety net. They should be thankful, on their best behavior, and appreciative enough to take advantage of the entire program. While there are some that do, there are also some who have experienced trauma, horrible abuse, abandonment, failed adoptions, and the like.

A Helping Hand For Those Struggling

Those that struggle with substance abuse (maybe to cope with their traumas), and those who have mental health conditions, did not ask to have these problems. These are the youth that THP Plus was designed to help. These are the youth that will become something some day with support and guidance.

It is not easy – sometimes they yell and cuss at you, make horrible choices, and don’t appreciate the effort given. But at Children First, we understand trauma. This misplaced anger isn’t about us. We build relationships and don’t give up on transition youth unless we have to for huge safety reasons. We give them a second chance for the following reasons:

• This program is designed to be a safety net because 18 year olds don’t turn 18 one day and suddenly know the answers of how to do things right.
• These youth often don’t have other supportive people in their lives.
• But mainly because: Over the past 10 years, we have given “another chance” and have seen youth get clean off of methamphetamine, finally graduate high school, reunify with their children, get off of probation, purchase homes, cars, etc.

Many are the same youth who yelled at us because we were 10 minutes late to an appointment, or because they had spent all of their money on shoes and had no food, or even because we tried to tell them “what to do.”

We see the potential in our youth that many of them don’t see in themselves. We hold on because the day they finally see their own potential makes it all worth it.

Janice Saelee
THP Program Director
JSaelee@ChildrenFirstFFA.com