Ever since he was in middle school, Ryan wanted to move into a place of his own with a childhood best friend in Cottonwood. He was about to turn 18 and was close to achieving his goal.
Starting Strong
When Ryan joined the AFFCF’s Keys to Success (KTS) program, he already possessed a strong work ethic. In fact, he’d been working at the same restaurant in Northern Arizona since he was 15 years old. He managed to save up enough money to move. Knowing that he needed to support himself, he already had a job lined up in Cottonwood.
Ryan’s career development specialist (CDS) wanted to ensure that he understood finances to help him avoid the financial pitfalls that ensnare youth aging out of foster care. She referred him to AFFCF’s Keys to Financial Success course, where he learned how to manage a monthly budget, pay bills, establish credit and other financial skills. Fully engaged in the program, he developed new competencies that will serve him throughout his life.
Finishing Strong
Before the move, Ryan recently ran into some vehicle issues, which would have drained his savings and hindered his goal of moving out when he turned 18. Once again, his KTS team was there to provide support. They helped him research his options for repairing his truck and get the funding he needed to get his truck’s transmission fixed. Instead of worrying about having reliable transportation, Ryan could focus his attention on his current employment and the future he imagined for himself.
Setting Them Up for Success
Without the right support and access to resources, young adults aging out of foster care face greater barriers to leading independent, successful lives. As the largest and most impactful program of its kind in Arizona, Keys to Success addresses the unique challenges facing youth, like Ryan, as they transition from foster care so they can achieve the goals they set for themselves. You can give them access to the services and resources they need simply by making a foster care tax credit donation to AFFCF. In return, you can receive a dollar-for-dollar credit up to $1,173 for couples and $587 for individuals. Give today!