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Established in 1973, GAP is a high-intensity, structured group home in Bethesda Maryland, serving males aged 12-20 who have experienced physical and emotional abuse, neglect, sex and human trafficking, or involvement with the juvenile justice system. The youth who are placed through the Maryland Department of Social Services or the Department of Juvenile Services receive individual and group therapy, trauma informed, positive youth development, life skills development, educational services, pro-social recreation activities, and comprehensive health services. In addition, these youth receive 24-hour residential care and supportive services that focus on family permanency and community reintegration.
Abandoned, rejected, abused, neglected, and alone —who do I belong to? Why doesn’t anyone want me? How come no one loves me for being me? No wonder my distrust and anger with the world, my struggle with building bonds with people, my inability to forgive those who have hurt me over and over again, my failing grades, my feeling of hopelessness, and my inability to love myself.
That was me. I needed to free myself of the guilt and anger and continue my life journey to true independence. I got the tools that allowed me to love myself and to understand that I am fully human and deserve love.
GAP gave me a second chance at life, with my family. GAP has not only helped me but annually it helps youth from throughout the entire State of Maryland. Many of these youth suffer with abandonment, rejection, abuse, and neglect, but in this 20 bed, highly structured residential, community living programs, they too can achieve stability, whether it be with their family, foster families, or independent living.
The FutureBound Teen Parent Program is an apartment-based independent living program that provides 24-hour comprehensive supervision and teaches concrete life skills to adolescent parents, ages 16 – 20, and is designed to help create positive outcomes for both the single parent and their young child.
Founded on empathy, learning, caring and bonding, FTPP’s Nurturing Parent Program model is trauma-informed, family-centered and evidence-based. Through this model, FTPP enhances parenting skills and prepares the residents to live on their own within the community. Teen parents have the opportunity to: 1) demonstrate positive parental engagement and attachment; 2) increase housing stability; 3) reduce repeat pregnancies; 4) become better educated; and 5) find jobs that promise economic stability. FTPP provides individual and group parenting sessions focused on educational planning, advocacy and housing services, life skills training, job training/placement, counseling and other supportive services.
Each year, the program serves over 25 youth, aiding their transition to productive adulthood. One participant purchased her own car, earned her college degree from the University of Maryland in epidemiology, saved over $40,000 in savings, obtained full-time employment after completing two internships for the Montgomery County Department of Health and the United States Army. She began the process of purchasing a house before she emancipated at 21.
The FutureBound Teen Parent Program is an apartment-based independent living program that provides 24-hour comprehensive supervision and teaches concrete life skills to adolescent parents, ages 16 – 20, and is designed to help create positive outcomes for both the single parent and their young child.
Founded on empathy, learning, caring and bonding, FTPP’s Nurturing Parent Program model is trauma-informed, family-centered and evidence-based. Through this model, FTPP enhances parenting skills and prepares the residents to live on their own within the community. Teen parents have the opportunity to: 1) demonstrate positive parental engagement and attachment; 2) increase housing stability; 3) reduce repeat pregnancies; 4) become better educated; and 5) find jobs that promise economic stability. FTPP provides individual and group parenting sessions focused on educational planning, advocacy and housing services, life skills training, job training/placement, counseling and other supportive services.
A single unaccompanied youth must either seek shelter with family or friends or in the adult shelter system, where they do not receive appropriate support services. The FutureBound Transitional Housing Program model immediately responds to a growing need in the community, serving a full continuum of homeless youth with inadequate workforce and financial planning skills.
FTHP provides homeless youth with apartment housing in Rockville, Maryland, a resource-intensive area with direct access to public transportation, grocery and retail stores, and a variety of community supports. Our staff are available 24-hours/7 days a week to provide support and guidance, daily reminders regarding program standards and expectations, and to encourage participants to strive towards their goals and transition out of the program. Key program components include: 1) life skills development; 2) educational/vocational assistance; 3) workforce development; 4) savings 5) community linkages; and 6) aftercare support. To date, FTHP has served over 60 homeless youth
Teenagers transitioning out of the foster care system are especially affected by the instability that accompanies long periods of out-of-home placement during childhood and adolescence, placing them at an elevated risk for homelessness and dependency on public assistance. Because young homeless individuals need significant support to resolve the problems that impede their attainment of self-sufficiency, residential and financial stability, and healthy families, FTHP targets participants who need more intensive supports than is provided at traditional shelters, to help the youth build new support systems, reduce or eliminate their dependence on the public welfare system, and reduce repeated occurrences of homelessness. One recent FTHP alumnus attended The George Washington University on scholarship obtaining a degree in Computer Engineering. He currently works as a full-time software engineer at NASA. Three residents graduated from high school recently, despite their homelessness, and have found employment or vocational certification.
Each year, the program serves over 25 youth, aiding their transition to productive adulthood. One participant purchased her own car, earned her college degree from the University of Maryland in epidemiology, saved over $40,000 in savings, obtained full-time employment after completing two internships for the Montgomery County Department of Health and the United States Army. She began the process of purchasing a house before she emancipated at 21.
The FutureBound Teen Parent Program is an apartment-based independent living program that provides 24-hour comprehensive supervision and teaches concrete life skills to adolescent parents, ages 16 – 20, and is designed to help create positive outcomes for both the single parent and their young child.
Founded on empathy, learning, caring and bonding, FTPP’s Nurturing Parent Program model is trauma-informed, family-centered and evidence-based. Through this model, FTPP enhances parenting skills and prepares the residents to live on their own within the community. Teen parents have the opportunity to: 1) demonstrate positive parental engagement and attachment; 2) increase housing stability; 3) reduce repeat pregnancies; 4) become better educated; and 5) find jobs that promise economic stability. FTPP provides individual and group parenting sessions focused on educational planning, advocacy and housing services, life skills training, job training/placement, counseling and other supportive services.
Homelessness among youth continues to be a critical issue nationwide. Youth REACH MD shines a needed light on this poorly understood issue, with biennial statistical data on the plight of unstable housed youth in Maryland. Since 2018, NCCF has led the Montgomery County Continuum of Care (COC) in partnership with the University of Maryland School of Social Work and Department of Health and Human Services. NCCF’s implementation of the Youth REACH MD partnership equips Montgomery County with vital qualitative and quantitative data regarding the number of homeless youth, youth demographics, youth’s lived experiences, and the service and support needs identified by this underserved population.
Youth REACH results are utilized to enhance and refine Montgomery County’s strategies to ultimately end youth homelessness. Modeled after the Federal Youth Count! Initiative and aligned with the federal United States Interagency Council on Homelessness goal to end youth homelessness by 2020, Youth REACH MD was developed to help Maryland “go beyond the numbers” to explore who the youth are and better understand how to connect with and support youth experiencing homelessness. Utilizing information collected during the annual Youth Counts and data from multiple systems that serve youth, Youth REACH MD provides a consistent mechanism for measuring youth homelessness in the State of Maryland. Moreover, the use of the data, strategic planning, and technical support provided through the Youth REACH MD project serves as a key tactic for achieving the 2020 goal to “effectively end youth homelessness and ensure that any experience of homelessness by a youth should be rare, brief, and non-recurring.”
