Blueprints Guides Foster Teens Toward Independence
By Emily King
What happens when a child ages out of the foster system and transitions into independent living? This adjustment can be difficult and confusing for many kids, especially those without strong support systems in their lives. Without these support systems, foster youth face a higher risk of dropping out of high school, experiencing homelessness, or joblessness.
On November 13, the president signed an executive order to help modernize America’s foster care system and provide resources, tools, and opportunities to support foster children as they transition into independent living. The initiative, named “Fostering the Future”, utilizes partnerships between the public and private sectors to maximize opportunities for foster youth to thrive in adulthood.
The plan also aims to modernize the state child welfare information system and data collection. The initiative includes the creation of a Fostering the Future online platform that helps connect youth in the foster system with critical resources for housing, education, employment, and healthcare.
“While Blueprints, in partnership with Washington County Children and Youth Services and Greene County Children and Youth Services, have certainly lead the way in our community for youth Independent Living Services, this executive order will help organizations like Blueprints (formerly Community Action Southwest) to create additional pathways to help build upon improve successful outcomes for the futures of these young adults, providing resources, support, and guidance as they transition to adult life with confidence,” said Trenna Passalacqua CEO of Blueprints.
Founded in 1965, Blueprints is a nonprofit organization that serves thousands of households across Washington and Greene Counties in Pennsylvania, as well as parts of West Virginia. Blueprints’ mission is to improve the lives of families and individuals affected by poverty, creating access to opportunities and resources. With the partnership of the public, private, and community sectors, Blueprints is breaking down the barriers that prevent individuals from thriving and achieving their potential.
Crystal Rivera and Heather Thornburg oversee the Independent Living Program within Blueprints, which serves teens and young adults ages 14-23. Rivera is PA State Manager and oversee operations, supervision, and quality assurance compliance with policies, contracts, and regulatory standards within Blueprints. In Thornburg’s role as supervisor, she provides oversight and program development for Blueprints’ Independent Living and Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN) services. The Independent Living Program helps build confidence by providing hands-on training, access to resources, and personalized guidance.
“The independent living program provides services to help prepare youth for successful adulthood,” says Thornburg.
The program consists of three phases. All youth start learning life skills in the community and a classroom group setting called Central Place. Central Place is a drop-in center that provides full laundry facilities, a kitchen, and a computer lab. Youth meet with staff and other community partners to learn skills for independent living. The evidence-based education provided by Blueprints staff as well as guest speakers covers all facets of adult life, including topics such as nutrition, legal, healthy relationships, education, and employment. These life skills are taught in a proactive and positive way.
“We work to build their self- reliance and self-confidence to help them implement their learned skills more consistently,” says Thornburg.
Blueprints partners with local institutions like Washington and Jefferson College, Penn Commercial, and area trade schools to introduce youth to options for furthering their education after high school graduation.
In the next phases of the Independent Living Program, youth take the life skills they learned and begin to put them into practice. With the help of Blueprints and community partners, participants articulate their goals and create an actionable plan with milestones and checklists. Every youth’s plan is individualized.
“None of their goal planning is cookie-cutter at all, because each plan is youth driven,” says Thornburg.
Some youth may have social goals, which Blueprints supports with activities like tutoring, working on social skills, and then fun events like mixers that allow them to put new skills into practice. This is also a time to work on goals that will make independence easier, like providing support for obtaining a driver’s license. Older participants who are finishing high school may start planning for their future, looking at options for furthering their education or entering the workforce. Blueprints supports these goals in practical and actionable ways, like helping to schedule college interviews.
Blueprints assists youth in developing their own supports to ensure they can successfully become independent in their housing, their career, and their relationships in their community.
“We walk the journey all the way through with them until they’re completely independent,” says Rivera.
The Independent Living program is an invaluable resource that supports around 200 area youth on their path to successful adulthood. With stronger connections between private and public sector partners, Blueprints can more efficiently and effectively improve the outcomes for children in the foster system.
For more information on Blueprints, please visit or call 724-225-9550.
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