Aidpage

Are you between 16 and 21 years old?

There is a program called the "Independent Living Program" (ILP) available in all California counties, which serves youth aged 16-18 in foster care and also helps emancipated foster youth up to age 21. Counties can use ILP money for college or vocational training costs, transportation, some other needs, and up to 30% on housing. If you don't participate in ILP, you may miss out on services that can help you get a computer, earn money, find jobs and housing, or scholarship opportunities for school. Locate your County ILP Coordinator.

Locate an ILP Coordinator in another State.

What can ILP do for me?

Unless you are prepared, emancipating can be frightening. Among other things, the ILP program can help you to:

• Get money through the Emancipated Youth Stipend to help with housing, food and expenses after you emancipate;
• Get funds for driver's training;
• Find a steady job, with a good paycheck;
• Get an apartment / Transitional Housing;
• Learn the skills to become self-sufficient;
• Get money to finish school.

Participate in ILP!

Make sure you participate in your county's Independent Living Program, and take advantage of all the services such as the Transitional Housing Placement Program. Twenty-two counties have this program which allows some foster youth 17 or older to learn self sufficiency skills while living in an apartment in the community and being supervised by the their case worker and care provider.

Your social worker/probation officer must:

• Make sure that transportation to ILP is provided and/or accessible.
• Make sure you have access to ILP core services (ILP participation cannot be used as a punishment or a reward).
• The county where you live must provide core ILP services.
• The county where your court is must pay the county where you live for the ILP services they provide.
• Make sure that you are able to complete the goals in your Transitional Independent Living Plan (TILP). Your ILP coordinator will help you achieve those goals.

Don't know what a TILP is?
 

It's your emancipation preparation plan! You write your first plan with your social worker when you are 15 to 16 years old. You update it every six months. Ask your social worker or probation officer or ILP Coordinator about this.

National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD)

The Chafee Foster Care Independence Act (FCIA) of 1999, required the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to develop and implement a data collection system to track the independent living services provided to youth, and develop outcome measures that may be used to assess a states performance in operating their independent living programs. View the Fact Sheet.

Survival Guide

A pamphlet called "When you Become 18: A Survival Guide for Teenagers" is full of good information for after you turn 18 years old. For copies, send an email to 18@calbar.ca.gov or to see a copy on line go to California State Bar.

To hook up with the Independent Living Program, or to voice a concern about the way things are going for you, call the Office of the Foster Care Ombudsman at
1-877-846-1602

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I and my husband, James are in the process of starting a residential training center for homeless parents and their children. We will interview, and qualify family units to live in our residential training facility and further their academic and vocational education.  The purpose of this non profit project is to enable all interested homeless parents and their dependent children to become the best that they can be and become financially independent from the state and county welfare systems. We have received our nonprofit certification number, and are in the process of seeking funding and an appropriate location to develope the project.  We intend to service Coarsegld and Oakhurst, in Madera County, California. We welcome assistance from any interested groups or parties.

The Opportunity Center is a clubhouse for adults recovering from psychiatric disabilities. Our main focus is to help our members strive to live as independently and productively as possible in the community.
At the clubhouse, members and staff work side by side in all functions of the daily responsibilities of the program. Membership is voluntary and open to individuals served by the Bay Arenac Community Mental Health Services Board.

Our Mission is to provide an environment where every individual can succeed through the promotion of skills, perseverance, a feeling of confidence, respect, and a sense of accomplishment in their endeavors.

With the present financial situation our organization, like others which depend on public funds, is having difficulties with fund raising and are currently exploring other avenues of finding additional help to continue with our work.

In working on enhancing my clients quality of life, I think it's appropriate to inquire about an accessible vehicle. More so, a donation of an accessible van.
 
Can anyone tell me which organizations/individual could possibly be willing to donate a wheelchair accessible van for my client.
 
I do not know how to write a grant nor am I a "501 c 3"and I don't have use of an umbrella. I'm a 24 hour a day live in caregiver.
 
My client is physically and mentally, permanently disabled. She rides a power chair and is in need of an accessible van to be transported to/from home and to/from appointments in record time.
 
She would also appreciate having the ability to go to zoos, gardens and possibly other such outings. She loves animals and flowers.
 
For the past three years she hasn't been able to go anywhere other than to her physicians and other specialists offices.
 
She doesn't care for television so keeping her amused can be quite the challenge.
 
Having personal transportation will enable me to carry her necessities to ensure un-compromised health while traveling. The vehicle will ensure her comfortable, safe and quick transport to and from each destination as it is critical that she be in early reach of her medical providers.

She deserves to experience life outside of home. It will be wonderful to hear the laughter in her voice and see radiant joy in her eyes as she visits her most favorite mammals. (Whales and Dolphins) She believes that she becomes the flowers that she observes. "full of life and beauty."

Privacy laws don't allow me to provide details of her disabilities to the public. If you are able to assist she is willing to sign a release form so you can confirm her disabilities.

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If you know of anyone at all that may be willing to donate an already accessorized vehicle, a van that can be, or possibly even the money to purchase one please forward this page to them or let me know so I can apply for her.
 
Thank you so much,
I appreciate your time and consideration in this matter.

C. F. MCP Independent Provider

She is trusting this quote:

--
“Take the first step, and your mind will mobilize all its forces to your aid. But the first essential is that you begin. Once the battle is started, all that is within and without you will come to your assistance.”
 
~~Robert Collier

It took me a minute to get the hang of this.

Hello and welcome to my aid pages.

I'm not seeking aid for myself.

I take care of a wonderful person who is in need of a better quality of life.

For three years she has been at home with no reliable way to get out and about like other people do.

She does have an older power wheelchair. However, she can't go very far in it.

We have a system here called Para Transit which is a great company and I commend their efforts to help differently abled people get to and from appointments.

The thing is it doesn't work for my client. It's the wait time between travels that gives chance to serious complications to her health.

Her medical insurance only covers doctor visits through them. If she wanted to stop to look at flowers or sit on a park bench for a moment she couldn't. As I have to travel with her, a cooler full of supplies and other necessities are out of the question.

What we need is a wheelchair accessible van.

If you have one that you are willing to donate or know of anyone else that can give her one it would be a ten fold blessing. If you have any idea of whom to write or know how to write a grant for one, your help will be greatly appreciated. If you can donate money for one or know of any philanthropist who can and is willing please contact me as soon as possible.

I don't have a 501 c 3 or an umbrella and the places that I have written (which has been several) have told me that they don't donate to individuals or they have recommended places that don't. I have called and written to foundations and others that have cause in her diagnosis' to no avail.

If you have it to give please give to a very deserving lady who's greatest desire is to enjoy each and every moment.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this page. Thank you in advance for finding it in your heart to give someone you don't know personally a chance to live a better quality of life.

Namasté

“There is no more noble occupation in the world than to assist another human being - to help someone succeed”

~~Alan Loy McGinnis