St. Joseph’s Villa summit to focus on at-risk youths

A child who needs help all the way through school doesn't suddenly become independent just because he has graduated.

A successful transition to adulthood requires some help, too.

At a Youth Transition Summit tomorrow at St. Joseph's Villa in Henrico County, more than 225 professionals who work with at-risk youths will come together to hear Carmen James Lane, co-chair of the Youth Transition Funders Group.

The summit is part of a 175th anniversary celebration for St. Joseph's Villa, which began as an orphanage and now serves children with special needs, women and children in crisis, and adults living with disabilities.

Bruce Cauthen, St. Joseph's vice president of public relations, held out the possibility that the summit could spark a coalition to help youths make a successful transition to adulthood, similar to Homeward's coordination of programs for the homeless.

Separate sessions will focus on youths at risk from poverty or criminal issues, youths with autism and developmental disabilities and homeless youths.

Lane said about 6 percent of young people are at high risk for an unsuccessful transition to adulthood. Among them are high school dropouts, young mothers, teens aging out of the foster-care system, youths in the juvenile-justice system, homeless youths, and those with mental-health or developmental problems.

As adults, Cauthen said, they aren't eligible for a lot of the programs that helped them when they were younger. "They have to get different types of funding, which isn't as generous as in schools and there are not as many services available," he said.

Contact Katherine Calos at (804) 649-6433 or .