Most of our young people stay here one to two years, and then reunite with their families or become independent. To help with this transition between residential care and family life, we are part of an innovative new program called Project Destiny. Project Destiny provides flexible services to transition severely emotionally disturbed children from residential care to either their families or to a family-based treatment environment. The program is a collaboration with Alameda County among three children's agencies - Fred Finch Youth Center, Lincoln Child Center, and Seneca Center for Children and Families. Wraparound is an individualized plan that is based on the philosophy that services will be provided to strengthen the families to allow for reunification, the child's safety, and healthy school and vocational development.
Services provided are flexible, thanks to uniquely-structured funding.
Fred Finch Youth Center is proud to report that seven of the young people in our care during the first year of Project Destiny have made the transition from residential care to living with their families, foster families or independently. We have now joined Lincoln Child Center, Seneca Center and Alameda County in the second phase of Project Destiny, and the program will serve 144 children over the next two years. As a model program, we hope that it can be used elsewhere to help heal these troubled young people and their families.