77.8 F
Cruz Bay
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesDHS Extends Improvements on Aging-Out Process to Adolescents on St. Thomas

DHS Extends Improvements on Aging-Out Process to Adolescents on St. Thomas

Thirty adolescents who are transitioning out of foster care and those under judicial supervision with the Department of Human Services (DHS) attended a Career and Transitional Fair. DHS Division of Children and Families and the Division of Juvenile Justice, in collaboration with the Family Resource Center (FRC), hosted an event for adolescents and young adults on St. Thomas. The event was adopted from successful annual efforts on St. Croix in the past four years to commemorate National Foster Care Month in May, according to a press release from DHS.

The fair is designed to equip adolescents and young adults ages 14-22 with much needed information and resources in preparation for becoming successfully independent adults. Mary-Ann Weston, a foster care specialist with the FRC, explained, “We learned about the success of the program on St. Croix and realized the benefit of it for the youths on St. Thomas, so we decided to mirror the effort.”
Representatives from financial, employment and other government agencies gave presentations and instruction on becoming independent and responsible members of the community. The National Guard, Job Corp, Internal Revenue Bureau and the Department of Labor were among several agencies that urged attendees to consider their health, career options and the overall direction for their lives. Presenters fielded a slew of questions from the youth who were interested in prospects for furthering their education and gaining vocational experience.
DHS and Governor John P. deJongh’s administration recognize the challenges faced by Virgin Islands youth and make a commitment to finding and utilizing available resources to assist them.
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.