John Chafee Life Skills Center for Adolescents
On November 6, 2001 RICORP opened the John H. Chafee Life Skills Center for Adolescents. Named after Rhode Island’s late U.S. Senator, a long time champion of this nation’s most vulnerable youth, the center serves youth 16 and older in our member programs. The Life Skills Program is a sixteen-week course that teaches various topics important to becoming self-sufficient and living independently. The course includes budgeting, banking, credit, job skills, health, home management, housing, cooking, legal skills, car purchasing and insurance, fire safety, first aid, and consumer and shopping skills. The program assesses youth’s knowledge of these and other topics before and after the Program.
At the completion of the Program each youth receives a certificate, a stipend for $200, a care package and participates in a graduation ceremony/party. Through corporate sponsorship and individual donations, the Council has been able to give out incentives (such as personal care and household items, etc.) during the sixteen-week course. The first-ever John H. Chafee Life Skills Center class graduated on March 6, 2002.
The Life Skills Center provides a permanent connection for youth - even after they graduate. The Center offers a Photography Club, Teen Advocacy Group, Reunions and Field Trips, and always has its doors open for graduates.
The Center continues to provide internship placements for Master's level students.
While the Chafee Life Skills Center is funded by Rhode Island's Department of Children, Youth and Families via federal monies (Chafee Foster Care Independence Program) RICORP has, and continues to seek revenues and donations that will compensate for items not currently funded. In addition, and in partnership with the RI Foster Parent Association our collaborating Life Skill Centers have received funding from the United Way to matriculate additional youth though the program.
We are always looking for new donations related to independent living needs:
- Alarm clocks
- Personal hygiene products
- Pots & pans
- Cleaning products
- Anything useful for setting up an apartment
Should you like more information on the Chafee Life Skills Center, or would like to make a referral, please call 401-431-0557.
©2010 RICORP, All Rights Reserved
Revised:
15-Feb-10