Foster Teen Program fosters success

For Jon, it was a lifeline -- from a criminal record as a teen to a college scholarship.

Maria was spiraling downward, missing class and hanging out with a wild crowd. Several months later, she was enrolled in community college and had a part-time job.

Chris left high school without a diploma. Now, he's working toward a GED and ultimately hopes to pursue a degree in law.

What these three youth have in common is they've all received help through the Foster Teen Program run by Catholic Family & Child Service. The teens' names have been changed to protect their privacy.

Launched 12 years ago, the Foster Teen Program is under the umbrella of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Yakima. It serves youth, ages 14-23, who are in foster care or transitioning out of foster care.

Catholic Charities serves people of all faiths, so youngsters in the foster teen program are not required to be Catholic or be affiliated with any religion.

"We affirm our faith in God who calls us to serve," the nonprofit agency says in its mission statement. "Motivated by Christ's love, we bring hope to life, especially for those most in need."

"Everything (the foster teen program) has done for me has been helpful," says Chavela Perez-Quenzer, who entered the Foster Teen Program when she was 14, five years ago.

What began with one person overseeing two counties now has 10 staff members serving roughly 275 youth in seven counties.

The inception of Yakima's program coincided with a nationwide push to focus on teens as they were leaving foster care. As they got older, a significant number were getting into trouble and ending up in the criminal justice system, says Peggy Arizzi, director of administrative services at Catholic Charities.

"Nationally, there was a feeling that we needed a much stronger focus on living skills."

When federal legislation in 1999 mandated the new focus, Catholic Family & Child Service began offering its first program for foster teens, called Independent Living Skills.

That can be anything from showing someone how to open a bank account to helping a teen fill out an application for college.

And it's different for every teen, notes Shannon Landvoy, regional director of the programs.

"A youth will say, 'My foster mom already showed me how to do a checkbook, but I need help writing a resume.'"

There are also monthly group training sessions where speakers demonstrate skills such as cooking techniques or how to file a tax form.

Gradually, the focus of Foster Teen Programs has expanded to include education (keeping teens in school) and helping youth transition to independent housing once they are 18 or older.

It's a coordinated effort. Staff members who are skilled mentors (also called trainers or coaches) work with foster parents, social workers and school counselors to guide the foster youth into becoming successful, independent adults.

Perez-Quenzer is one example. She lived with her grandmother until age 14 when the latter got ill. The youngster then entered foster care, living with several different families. Now 19, she has her own apartment where she lives with her 2-year-old daughter, Dani. She also works part-time at a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant, where she was just promoted to shift supervisor.

Perez-Quenzer says her Foster Teen Program mentor, LJ Carnagey, has been there at every step.

"She helped me get my GED, she helped me with my resume, she helped me get my driver's license. If something happens, I'll call her and she's there to talk."

The teen credits Carnagey with keeping her on track to reach her goals: "I procrastinate, but LJ always follows through."

But Carnagey says it was Perez-Quenzer who did the heavy lifting: "Chavela is an amazing young woman who has achieved a lot," she says.

Like Perez-Quenzer, many teens in the program realize the importance of education. More than 90 percent of the 15- to 18-year-olds receiving services are enrolled in high school, college or a GED program.

Landvoy notes that she's particularly proud of those educational statistics: "That's definitely a strength."

But no one is saying there aren't obstacles.

"These kids have had so many disadvantages," Arizzi says. "They may have changed families and schools. There may be gaps in their education or their emotional development."

Pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, mental heath issues, fear of change, post-traumatic stress -- all are problems faced by many foster teens.

Mentors take the approach of helping set small, manageable goals, asking -- not telling -- what the teen would like to accomplish.

"We celebrate little steps," says Landvoy. "'You went to class; you filled out the form.' We really try to give kudos when they're successful."

She adds, "When they call and say they got 90 percent on their math test -- we love those calls."

The common attribute of mentors, who have bachelor's or master's degrees, is a love of working with teens, Landvoy says. They use a team approach so that every staff person is familiar with every teen.

Jesica Orozco is one of Yakima's newest mentors. Originally from Mabton, she graduated from Gonzaga University earlier this spring.

"I came from a lower-income family, and I've always wanted to work with youth and be in a career that gives back and caters to the morals and values of my life," Orozco says.

Sara Caricchio, also a mentor, points out that the program is filled with success stories, such as a 17-year-old Lower Valley teen who spoke little English, was behind in school and was so shy that she wouldn't make eye contact.

"When I thought she would be going out on her own, I was petrified," the mentor says.

But they worked on high school graduation requirements, and the teen was steered toward resources to help her learn English.

"Now she has blossomed, become outgoing and lives in her own apartment in Seattle," Caricchio says.

Although the Foster Teen Program is housed on the Catholic Diocese campus on Tieton Drive, it functions independently.

"We act in the name of the church, but we're a separate corporation. It's a very supportive relationship," Arizzi says.

Participation in the teen program is entirely voluntary. Funding comes from state and federal sources, private donations and the United Way.

Even when there seem to be insurmountable odds against some of the teens, Caricchio says there almost always is something positive that occurs.

"They can have huge barriers, but they show such resilience. There's never been anyone I felt was without hope."

* Jane Gargas can be reached at 509-577-7690 or jgargas@yakimaherald.com.