AI Center finds its place to help Philly’s youth find theirs

(Philadelphia, PA) Foster care systems across the country face challenges in supporting the unique needs of older youth as they transition into adulthood. Philadelphia’s Achieving Independence Center (AI Center) has a solution. In fact, their visionary and promising one-stop membership model is emulated in other cities.

At its new facilities, the AI Center will provide services to an additional 150 youths that are "aging out" of foster care.

The AI Center is a collaborative, one-stop operation that provides services for youth, ages 16 to 21, to help them develop independent living skills, build a network of social supports and find safe, affordable housing and stable employment. Through their unique, proactive approach they are able to provide services to the majority of their members while they are still in care.

In March, the Achieving Independence Center (AI Center) opened the doors of its new larger location to better serve Philadelphia youth transitioning from foster care to independent living.

“We needed more space,” Arbor Regional Director Ron Spangler said. “We had tripled in size. We were receiving more referrals as youth were telling other youth about the program.”

Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter attended the reopening of the AI Center to show his support for the difference the center is making in the lives of the youths it serves.

The new space will allow the AI Center to enroll 1500 youth, 275 more than at the previous location. The new location provides larger classrooms and technological upgrades, allowing more workshops and easier access to coaches. The center will also provide more resources to train various DHS teams and regional child welfare groups.
 
In the heart of the downtown business district, the new space is centrally located to transportation hubs and allows students to seek part-time employment close to the center.

The AI Center celebrated its grand reopening in style with Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, Acting Department of Human Services (DHS) Commissioner Arthur Evans and senior DHS officials in attendance. 

“Finding your place in the world is difficult enough for an 18-year old, but for these young people, attaining and maintaining self-sufficiency is extremely challenging,” Mayor Nutter said. “By providing them with concrete educational and career development skills, as well as access to a strong network of social supports, these young people will have an improved chance of achieving and sustaining self-sufficiency.”

Regional Vice President for the Mid Atlantic Region of Arbor Dave Meara agrees on the importance of the AI Center in the lives of the youths it serves.

“For the past five years, the AI Center has been a safe haven for youths transitioning out of the foster care system,” Mr. Meara said. “(The new facility) demonstrates the commitment Mayor Nutter, the City of Philadelphia and the Department of Human Services has to help these youths reach a higher quality of life that they so rightly deserve.”