Transitional Conferences

About the Program

Category: Children and Youth (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

The Independent Living Program (ILP) is a federally mandated program, established to assist youth with supportive services and skills necessary to successfully transition from the foster care system to adult self-sufficiency. San Bernadino County Children and Family Services (CFS) wanted to find a way to more meaningfully connect youths with life-long supportive adults, in order to increase the chances for youths to effectively transition to self sufficiency. As a result, Transitional Conferences were developed. Transitional Conferences are formalized, Social Worker-facilitated meetings, designed to link foster care youths with supportive adults. They provide opportunities for establishing relationships between the youths and participating adults, in order to develop and implement a realistic and successful Transitional Independent Living Plan. The conferences focus on the youths’ goals and how the youths, in collaboration with their support systems, will accomplish those identified goals. Transitional Conferences of ILP-aged youths meeting with their CFS Social Workers, facilitators, caregivers and other community members to develop plans that will maximize the youths’ abilities to make life long connections with significant adults, for the sole purpose of successfully transitioning out of foster care services. Other participants may include peer advocates, ILP representatives, Educational Liaisons and other community agency representatives.