Pushing through pandemic

Virus closed schools, but foster youths graduate, make plans

CLARK COUNTY’S foster youth graduates are heading off to college, careers and even the U.S. Navy’s nuclear engineering program, despite a pandemic that closed schools for nearly three months. COVID-19 and school closures didn’t deter many would-be graduates in the foster care system, according to Lisa Martinez, who oversees the independent living program at the Clark County Department of Family Services. Of approximately 100 seniors in the program, 75 graduated, she said, the exact same number as last year.

“It shows how resilient youth in foster care are,” she said. “They were already facing challenges and barriers before everything had to go virtual.”

Martinez said the department was able to provide laptops to students for distance learning, thanks to a grant, and continue its independent living classes online. On Wednesday, staff also handed out gift bags to graduates, as well as donations of dorm and independent living supplies.

Needed now are more families who are willing to take in older foster youth, Martinez said, in order to allow them to live in a home environment during pivotal years of their development and education. Foster youth in general tend to experience frequent education disruptions, studies have found, leading to lower gradua

FOSTER GRADS

tion rates.

“We really need foster parents, especially for older kids and sibling groups,” she said, pointing interested parties to the countmein.vegas website.

The pandemic canceled plans like prom and college tours, and disrupted the routines of students like Arbor View High School graduate he felt motivated to take on the additional work in pursuit of his future ambitions.

“I was willing to put in the hours,” he said.

Hines said he’s planning to pursue a career in social work inspired by his foster parent, who earned both a bachelor’s and master’s in social work while Hines was in his care, as well as his own social workers and therapists.

After college, he said he’d like to work with kids in foster care, with his own experiences as a guide.

“I’m not going to pretend like it’s easy, but you should never give up,” Hines said. “Don’t let statistics say you can’t.”

Elizabeth Page Brumley Las Vegas Review-Journal Arbor View grad Joselyn Smith, with foster parent Tami Soudbakhsh, is headed to the University of Nevada, Reno.

Jaden Hines, who has two associate degrees thanks to online courses, is moving on to attend UNLV, where he plans to pursue a career in social work.