A Memorial Healthcare System program that aids some of the most vulnerable individuals in South Florida, children aging out of the foster care system, has won the American Hospital Association’s 2017 NOVA Award. The honor, earned by five or fewer entities nationwide each year, recognizes “effective, collaborative programs focused on improving community health status.”
The Memorial program, Healthy Youth Transitions, was the only winner from Florida.
Utilizing funding from the Children’s Services Council of Broward County, the program helps kids and young adults transition from foster care to adulthood by providing support before and after a person turns 18. Life coaches help those who’ve grown up on their own learn to be productive adults, with guidance on daily living challenges such as housing, health, social relationships, education, money management, career planning, and work.
“There are often nonprofits in the community that offer some of these services, but it’s very unusual for a healthcare provider to take on a comprehensive program like ours,” said Tim Curtin, administrative director for community services at Memorial Healthcare System. “We’ve been able to form community partnerships and bring everything under one umbrella for kids who have spent their childhoods in a constant state of flux.”
175 children, some of them women with babies of their own, have been coached on life skills since 2010. “All they want is a fair shot at having success in life. We’re their safety net at a time they have nowhere else to turn,” said Curtin.