KENTWOOD, Mich. — A new transitional housing program in Kentwood is addressing a critical gap in youth services by teaching teenagers essential life skills before they age out of the child welfare system.
Wedgwood Christian Services has launched the Audere House and program, designed to help teens transition into independent living by learning practical skills many take for granted.
"Youth and families that, particularly within the child welfare system, are dealing with a lot nowadays mental health crisis. We call it the mental health tsunami," said Daniel Gowdy, CEO of Wedgwood Christian Services.
Many of the teens served by the organization come from traumatic backgrounds that have left them unprepared for adult responsibilities.
"We found out is some of these kids coming to us, many of these comes to us have significant trauma in their life, trauma that many of us would struggle to imagine or even comprehend," Gowdy said.
The challenge becomes more acute when these young people reach 16 or 17 years old and must navigate life without traditional family support systems.
"What we found is there are many of these individuals. Majority of them have no other options, no natural supports available to them, and they're left, unfortunately, to go it alone at 16, 17 years old," Gowdy said.
The Audere program fills this void by providing structured support during a crucial transition period.
"A lot of times, kids come to Audere after they've been in residential or foster homes or even Independent Living, that has been a little bit difficult to manage," said Anna McLean, the program manager.
The program focuses on teaching practical life skills that many teens in the child welfare system have never had the opportunity to learn.
"A lot of our kids are going to be going into independent living settings, renting rooms from family members, you know, just won't have traditional family supports, and so it's really important that they have those skills to navigate our communities," McLean said.
These skills include basic tasks that most people learn gradually through family support.
"They didn't know bus systems, they didn't have jobs, they didn't have a bank account, they didn't even have the ability to get food that well," McLean said.
The Audere House features 12 beds, a kitchen, game room, and common areas where residents can relax and socialize. The facility is designed to create a supportive environment while teaching independence.
McLean hopes the program will help young people make a smoother transition to adulthood with greater confidence.
"I've worked with a lot of kids that have had troubles, not because they weren't, they just weren't prepared, and so this program will help do that, that will help transition and help them feel more confidence and self esteem," McLean said.
Youth have already started applying to live in the home. Wedgwood will review referrals and fill the rooms within the coming weeks.
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