Former Foster Youth nears College Graduation with FCCS College-Bound Mentor by her Side

For 21-year-old India, a mentor is “someone you can always talk to, almost like a big sister, and lean on when you need help.” She’s been able to rely on Allison Milliken, her College-Bound mentor connected to her through Franklin County Children Service, for sound advice and unconditional support over the past three years. 

FCCS College-Bound mentors are matched one-on-one with teenagers in the agency’s care to provide positive influences and help guide and support these older youth as they pursue post-high school education, develop career goals, and make life decisions.

As part of the agency’s strategy to protect the “whole” child - mind, body, and heart - FCCS recruits caring adults who can build heartfelt, trusting relationships with youth through its Volunteers and Mentors Program. 

January’s National Mentoring Month is a time to honor those committed, caring adults who remind young people that they have someone in their corner.

As India finishes a human resource and business management degree at Wright State University, she still relies on her College-Bound mentor. And Ms. Milliken plans to be there for India for the long term.

“I’ll always be the person India can come to for feedback or advice.” A married and devoted “pet mom” of an English bulldog, Ms. Milligan joined the College-Bound Mentoring Program after witnessing the social unrest during 2020. 

She wanted to do something to help young people and make a change in her community. She thought the best way was to support at least one young person.

Chuck Cochran, coordinator of the FCCS College-Bound Mentor Program, matched Ms. Milliken with India, who had been in and out of foster care throughout her life. 

India shared that she’d been disappointed by several people in her past, but she found her greatest supporter in Milliken. “I didn’t have the best support system, so this meant a lot to me.”

“Allison made me feel like I’m loved and I’m wanted.”

As India started looking toward the future, her mentor taught her how to budget, helped her apply for scholarships, and drove her to visit schools. The duo also spent quality time together playing games, visiting during the holidays, and chatting over lunch or shopping about everything: who India is dating, how school is going, what plans she’s making, and more. 

“I just like to chill with Allison,” India remarked. Now that India is away at college, they still text frequently and visit when possible.

India has achieved a great deal with Ms. Milliken by her side. She received the Franklin County Children Services merit scholarship in 2021 and served as an intern in the AmeriCorps I Foster Program. While attending school, she works at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, assisting a lieutenant colonel. 

“I am so in awe of India’s independence and how level-headed and mature she is at her age,” Ms. Milliken beamed. The pairing benefited her too. 

“Our relationship made me realize I want to make sure other young people have the sort of support system I’ve had and built with India.”

National Mentoring Month

According to Mr. Cochran, the College-Bound Mentor Program currently has 58 active mentors but needs more. “We’re looking for mentors who can be patient, flexible, and committed to working with our teens.”

The College-Bound Mentor Program is one of five mentoring programs at FCCS. 

Save the date for FCCS’s annual Make a Difference Night, slated for January 17 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at 855 W. Mound St. During the event, you can learn about all the ways to volunteer and mentor at FCCS and make a difference in a child’s life.

For more information, contact fccsvolunteers@fccs.us or call 614-275-2690.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Safer Together: First FCCS Director of Safety and Security Selected

Image
Adding another layer to the strategies designed to keep Franklin County Children Services staff and visitors to FCCS buildings protected and safe - and championing a new “Safer Together” approach to security - the agency has welcomed its first official Director of Safety and Security. Robert Collins joined the FCCS Team in mid-November with more than 30 years of private and public safety, security, and emergency management experience. And he’s already been busy. “It will take all of us to keep the agency safe and each other safe,” Mr. Collins shared. “This position will be the lead on enhancing, implementing, and overseeing our comprehensive safety and security efforts,” according to FCCS Executive Director Chip Spinning. “We want Robert to be the point-person in security-related discussions, for emergency and crisis planning, and as a liaison between FCCS and local first responders.” Mr. Collins will also chair the agency’s Safety Committee and is in the process of meeting FCCS staff
Read more

FCCS Visitation Keeps Families Connected

Image
When young people can no longer stay with a parent, it’s still critically important to help kids maintain connections to their loved ones. And over the past year, Franklin County Children Services has coordinated thousands of safe visits to connect children and separated parents - and used the time that families are together to connect them with additional support.  Regularly-scheduled family visitation is an opportunity for children who are in out-of-home care and their parents to spend quality time together, with the ultimate goal of family reunification.  In 2023, FCCS has coordinated more than 6,000 of these family visits over the course of the year. LaTisha Sterling is one of 34 FCCS social service aides (SSA) who helped facilitate these meaningful family gatherings. “My passion is helping people… being an advocate for the people we serve,” says Sterling, who works primarily out of FCCS’s West Region office on Frank Road.  With both a bachelor’s and a master’s degrees in social wo
Read more

FCCS Volunteers Comfort, Care for Children during Crisis

Image
As a volunteer in Franklin County Children Services’ Crisis Center, Michalle DiGiovine fondly recalls dining on “pretend food” and playing “restaurant” with a promising culinary staff of five young children as they tried out recipes prepared on a plastic range.  “It felt good that they could come to me - a stranger - to pretend and laugh a little,” she said, remembering how she connected with the youngsters, all the under the age of 10, who had just endured an extremely traumatic experience at home. As January is National Mentoring Month, it’s a great time to recognize the Crisis Center volunteers who help protect children by allowing them to escape from tumultuous situations for a time and feel safe and cared for.  Mentors and volunteers play an important role at FCCS in surrounding children who come into the agency’s care with kindness and support, letting children know they are not alone. It’s part of the agency’s strategy to protect the “whole” child - mind, body, and heart.  A pla
Read more