Network Partner: Mississippi Department
of Child Protection Services

ESTABLISHED 2018

CONTACT INFORMATION

601-359-4785
mdcps.ms.gov

Mississippi Site Director:
Samantha Kalahar

skalahar@

firstplaceforyouth.org

Opportunity Passport Coordinator:
Cotina Brown

cbrown@firstplaceforyouth.org

PROGRAMS

  • Opportunity Passport
  • Mississippi Youth Voice

PARTNERSHIPS

First Place for Youth has built an innovative partnership to support Mississippi’s efforts to improve support for transition-age foster youth.

About the Partnership

First Place for Youth partners with the state of Mississippi to offer two unique programs to improve supports for transition-age foster youth.

Opportunity Passport is a financial literacy and matched saving program sponsored by the Jim Casey Foundation that helps young adults become financially independent as they transition from foster care to adulthood. It offers:

  • Financial and money management education
  • Guidance on opening, maintaining, and growing a personal bank account.
  • Matched savings dollar for dollar (up to $3,000) to fund approved transportation, housing, and education-related expenses

Mississippi Youth Voice provides a forum for youth member leaders, ages 18-26+ to advocate for those who have lived in foster care in Mississippi. In serving on the Mississippi Youth Voice Board, these young adults develop leadership skills and make real change in the state. Members apply their lived experience to advocate and engage with community leaders, foster care stakeholders, and the broader public to create resources for foster youth and those transitioning out of care.

Building a Network of Like-Minded Partners Committed to Changing the Future of the Transition Age Foster Youth Across the Country

What’s Happening At First Place for Youth

2024 Local Heroes Celebrates $2.5 Million in Pasadena Community Foundation Grant Awards

In the Media

2024 Local Heroes Celebrates $2.5 Million in Pasadena Community Foundation Grant Awards

The greater Pasadena community joined Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF) for an uplifting celebration on Thursday, November 14 — the 25th annual Local Heroes Luncheon, a celebration of PCF’s $2.5 million in grant awards to 100 local nonprofits this year. In attendance at the University Club were more than 200 nonprofit leaders, community partners, civic and education officials, and PCF’s generous donors. … Thomas Lee represented First Place for Youth, which partnered with PCF and several other organizations to create housing for six transition age foster youth. He was accompanied by Sky Celine Page, a resident in the new housing. Click below to watch the […]

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Foster care training program helps Oakland woman find her independence

In the Media

Foster care training program helps Oakland woman find her independence

Ericka Ramirez Mendoza always dreamed about helping those in need. For her, being able to work as a full-time pharmacy tech at a CVS in Oakland is a dream come true. “It would have been so incredible for me to know that I’m here where I am at now. I never imagined to be here to be honest,” Ramirez Mendoza told CBS News Bay Area. … Ramirez Mendoza said she joined First Place for Youth, an Oakland-based foster care system, when she was 14-years-old. She recently turned 25, and left foster care in May. Through the system, she was able to […]

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Celebrating History and Opportunity: A+P Roundtable at Universal College of Beauty

Blog

Celebrating History and Opportunity: A+P Roundtable at Universal College of Beauty

This month, our team and youth attended the A+P Roundtable at the Universal College of Beauty, where they had the chance to explore career opportunities in cosmetology, esthetics, and barbering. It was a great opportunity for the 13 youth in attendance to connect with professionals in the field and learn more about the certification process, financial aid, and career pathways. The roundtable was held inside the Universal College of Beauty, a historic institution located just steps away from the A+P Art Gallery in the vibrant Leimert Park neighborhood. Founded in 1930 by Mrs. Hazel D. Williams, after she was denied […]

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How a former foster youth in LA County is taking advantage of a 2nd opportunity

In the Media

How a former foster youth in LA County is taking advantage of a 2nd opportunity

PASADENA, Calif. — After going through many hardships, Sky Celine is still persevering and trying to accomplish her dreams.

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