Bridges, Ohio’s Extended Foster Care Program, Is Underway

John Kelly, The Chronicle of Social Change •

“Stakeholders, through the development of an advisory council, took the time to do a careful plan for implementation and establish guiding principles and goals for the program,” said Jennifer Pokempner, child welfare policy director for the Philadelphia-based Juvenile Law Center. “They did this precisely because they did not want to just provide young people three more years of foster care, but wanted to provide supports that guide and teach young people, but also give them the opportunity to exercise their autonomy and decision making skills, building in the opportunity to make mistakes, and learn from them.”