“When I met Lauri Burns, The Teen Project founder, and learned about the organization’s work with homeless youth I knew The Teen Project was a good fit for the HomeAid model. Together we can address the specific housing needs of emancipated foster youth,” said Scott Larson, HomeAid Orange County Executive Director.
Studies done on California foster youth are evidence for the need of specialized programs for this specific segment of the homeless population.
- In California 65 percent of foster youth, emancipate without a place to live.
- Within eighteen months of their discharge, nearly 40 percent of transitioning youth are homeless.
- Although their desire to further their education is high, only 3 percent go to college
- Fifty-one percent are unemployed.
- In any given year, foster children comprise less than 0.3 percent of the state's population, yet 40 percent of persons living in homeless shelters are former foster children.
Burns personally understands the issues facing foster youth because she was a “system kid.” As a victim of child abuse, she entered the juvenile justice system in her early teens and at 18, she aged out of foster care and was legally declared an adult. Alone and unprepared to live independently, by the time Burns was 19 years old she was a drug addict, a single mother and used prostitution for income to survive.
At the age of 23, Burns was raped, brutally beaten and abandoned on an Orange County, Calif. canyon road left to die - but she survived. In recovery, for the first time she told a counselor about her abusive history and released all the pain she had desperately buried for years. Now she had the desire to change her life and she did.
Today, Burns is a successful business woman, incredible mother (her daughter recently graduated from Columbia School of Social Work) and a dedicated foster mother. To date, she has been a foster mother to 20 foster children. Lauri has committed her life to care for children no one else wants and to help them successfully transition into adulthood.
When completed the remodeled Lake Forest house will provide a home with a family support system for young women who have aged out of the foster care system. The average stay in the program will be 24 months. Residents will live in a stable environment with guidance and structure provided by professional staff. The ultimate goal for each young woman is to become a productive, independent and self-sufficient adult.
Several companies and individuals have donated funds and services for the project, but community support is still needed to complete this remodel. Thursday, May 21, 2009 HomeAid Orange County is hosting a presentation at the construction site to introduce The Teen Project. If you would like to attend or learn more about the project, email Ken Yannayon at ken@homeaidoc.org or call 949.553.9510.
About HomeAid Orange County
HomeAid Orange County is the founding chapter of a national non-profit organization with the mission to build and maintain dignified housing where homeless families and individuals can rebuild their lives. Founded in 1989 by the Orange County Chapter of the Building Industry Association of Southern California, HomeAid acts as the housing developer and liaison between service providers, community volunteers, builders and specialty contractors. To date the organization has completed 44 housing developments that serve victims of domestic violence, pregnant homeless women, abused and abandoned children, homeless adults living with HIV/AIDS and homeless families. www.homeaidoc.org
About The Teen Project
THE TEEN PROJECT a 501c3 organization, founded by Lauri Burns in response to her overwhelming feeling that no matter how many teens she fostered, it was never enough. Burns’ dream is that no teen should ever be without a home or a family and her vision is very clear that “system” teens receive all of the resources and amenities that are provided for "normal" kids. Led by a dedicated team of community volunteers working with foster children and emancipated foster youth, The Teen Project is creating a prototype of transitional housing specifically addressing the needs of homeless foster youth that have been turned out to the streets at the age of 18 with no family or resources. www.theteenproject.us
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