Richland County graduates prepare for college

Richland County Children Services celebrates high school graduates in their care
Lou Whitmire, Mansfield News Journal, June 22, 2024.

Six students in the care of Richland County Children Services had a special graduation celebration Thursday afternoon at the agency at 731 Scholl Road.

Five of the six students were able to attend the ceremony, complete with food, family members, cake and presents as Children Services staff stopped by to congratulate them.

Destiny Milton was among six high school graduates in the care of Richland County Children Services who were given a graduation celebration at the agency Thursday. With Milton is, center, caseworker Chelsey Frost and Milton's aunt, Traci Trumpower.

Recently married Destiny Milton is a 2024 graduate of Ontario High School who attended Pioneer Career & Technology School, where she received a certificate in welding.

She has just completed orientation at Whirlpool in Marion and is excited about beginning her new job.

Milton, 18, said her mom and uncle worked in factories and her late grandpa would be proud of her career choice.

Six high school graduates in the care of Richland County Children Services were given a graduation celebration Thursday at the agency. Left to right, James Hettinger, Cameron Barnett, Destiny (Barr) Milton, Ayden Fowler and Josh Reedy, Not pictured is Ivy Bistline.

"I want to become a firefighter," said Milton, who stopped by a Mansfield fire station to learn more about what she needs to do. "In the fall I want to get my EMT certification."

Milton's aunt, Traci Trumpower, said she and her husband are so proud of Destiny.

"We're happy to see the successes she's had," Trumpower said.

Seated at their table was Richland Services' Chelsey Frost, whom Milton said "was the best caseworker."

Cameron Barnett, 17, said he just graduated from Buckeye Community School on Park Avenue West. He plans to attend OSU Newark campus to study architectural science.

Cameron said he likes drawing, writing and is very good at fixing things.

His foster mother, Bobi Ginn, said Cameron fixed her broken doors and door frames at her trailer.

"He's only been with me since Monday," she said.

Cameron, who was drawing on a sketch pad while he chatted with graduates James Hettinger and Josh Reedy, said he is ready to take on new challenges.

Cameron said Hettinger is a former foster brother, and he knew Reedy as a former classmate at Thurgood High School in Dayton.

Reedy will attend Wilberforce University where he plans to study business administration and music.

Hettinger is seeking employment now that he is out of high school. Ayden Fowler is going to work at School Specialty.

Michelle Miller, executive director of Richland County Child and Family Counsel, brought a gift basket for each graduate. Laptops were given to a couple of students who are headed to college along with school supplies.

Graduate Ivy Bistline, who was not able to attend, plans to attend The Ohio State University and major in social work.

UC Blue Ash and Antioch College join the list of SW schools to earn Ohio Reach Designation

More area colleges are being recognized for assisting students from the foster care system
Zack Carreon, 91.7 WVXU, July 1, 2024.

Jaleshia Brown graduated from UC Blue Ash in 2021

This year, UC Blue Ash and Antioch College have joined the growing list of southwest Ohio schools to earn the Ohio Reach Postsecondary Designation, joining Miami University and Wright State.

Ohio Reach is a network of advocates for youth from the foster care system administered by the Ohio Children's Alliance. The organization provides them with access to higher education opportunities.

A designation from Ohio Reach means the school is recognized for its work to assist former foster care students and can receive additional support from the organization to further improve its programs.

Since schools began receiving designations in 2023, 40 institutions across the state have earned the honor so far.

Laurie Malone, Academic Advising Director at UC Blue Ash says that designation is a big deal. That's especially true for schools like Blue Ash that have a large population of first-generation college students, some of which come from the foster care system. UC Blue Ash has identified 40 students as foster care alumni, but there could be more.

"We believe there's more students that are already here," Malone told WVXU. "With this new destination, this is giving us opportunities for resources to build trust with our students."

Colleges with programs like these can offer monetary support, food, and sometimes even housing to ease the financial burden on students. Jaleshia Brown, a former foster kid, and 2021 UC Blue Ash graduate says this kind of support can dramatically improve a student's chances of success in higher education, but getting students on board can be a challenge.

"It's not always easy for us to accept that help because we've been let down so many times," Brown said. "We may not be that forthcoming with the information."

Brown says too often, foster kids don't want to disclose their background and can sometimes suffer in silence instead of asking for help.

Brown had been in the foster care system since she was a young child, frequently bouncing from foster home to foster home where the rules were always changing. She says her childhood was filled with instability, trauma, and abuse. Once she reached her teens, she had an idea of where she wanted to go in life but there were many obstacles.

After high school, she had a child and struggled to find success in college largely due to a lack of money and support. As a single mother and student, she experienced homelessness and for a time lived in her car while getting an associate degree at Cincinnati State and continuing her education at Blue Ash.

While she was in college, academic advisors were there to help and connect her to needed resources, but there was still something missing.

"The supports were there. Everybody was doing their job, but there was no actual connection to actually help me through that," Brown said.

That's why she's so excited about the Ohio Reach Designation. Brown, who now works professionally with foster kids says a school can only receive the destination if it meets certain criteria like having a designated campus liaison. The destination also provides training for school staff so they can better understand the challenges students face coming out of the foster care system. That can make all the difference.

"Just someone who's genuinely there for us and that just keeps showing that, 'Hey, no matter how much you push me away, or want me here or don't want me here, or whatever. I'm still here and I have these resources for you,'" Brown told WVXU.

Craig Bennett, Senior Director of Student Success at Miami University says the Ohio Reach name is trusted by students leaving foster care, which makes seeking help less intimidating. When marketing to high school counselors and students, Miami puts the Ohio Reach logo right next to its own.

"Students from foster recognize the Ohio Reach symbol and automatically recognize that there's somebody on campus who understands and has worked with other foster care students," Bennett said. "It allows students to make a decision on where they want to attend."

Miami and UC Blue Ash agree providing these students with the tools they need will encourage more foster kids to pursue their education, which will in turn make college campuses more diverse.

Brown wants to see more money put into programs across the state so more colleges can intervene in students' lives earlier and set them on a path with fewer challenges. She believes students like her have a lot of strengths they can bring to the academic world, they only need the opportunity.

"They're survivors, they're fighters, and they adapt. They have been their whole lives," she said. "And that's all you need to start."

UC Blue Ash receives Ohio Reach Postsecondary Designation

UC Blue Ash to provide additional support for students who were in foster care:
College first in Hamilton County to receive Ohio Reach Postsecondary Designation
June 18, 2024

Jaleshia Brown is a foster care alumnus who earned degrees in criminal justice
from UC Blue Ash and UC Uptown.

As the number of foster children who graduate high school is growing locally, the University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College is adding resources designed to support their success in higher education.

UC Blue Ash has received Ohio Reach Postsecondary Designation from the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE). It is one of only 40 Ohio campuses to earn this designation, and it’s the only one in Hamilton County.

The news comes as more kids who have been in the foster care system are finishing high school. Hamilton County Job & Family Services reports that 82 foster children graduated from area high schools this spring, which sets a new record for the county.

Ohio Reach is a network of professionals, advocates and students across the state that support former foster youth on their higher education journey. The network provides resources to institutions of higher education, child welfare agencies and foster care alumni enrolled in higher education to support their academic success.

The Ohio Reach designation is reserved for colleges and universities meeting criteria that depict their support of students with experience in foster care. It includes a $2,500 award from ODHE to develop programming for foster care alumni.

ODHE notes that criteria for receiving the designation includes:

• A designated campus liaison
• Champions in various campus departments
• The ability to connect students to resources (basic needs, food, housing)
• Community-building opportunities for students
• Targeted outreach to students and efforts to identify and support them
• Expanding the eligibility of on-campus services
• Staff training on working with alumni of foster care
• Succession/transition planning
• Data collection
• Mentorship

“The Ohio Reach designation is so important because it gives us the resources to support our students who are foster alumni, and it helps us connect them with statewide services and develop special programming at our college,” said Laurie Malone, director of Academic Advising at UC Blue Ash and the designated campus liaison for Ohio Reach. “It also helps us build trust — it gives us legitimacy and shows that we have the commitment and resources to make a difference. We can really do a lot of good with this.”

The designation also offers a sign of hope to foster care alumni who are fighting the odds as they look for the opportunity to pursue their college degree.

“The college graduation rate is so low for current and former foster youth because it is hard to thrive and focus on school when you are constantly in survival mode — trying to figure out where your next meal is coming from or where you are going to lay your head at night,” said Jaleshia Brown, a foster care alumnus who earned her associate degree in criminal justice from UC Blue Ash and her bachelor’s degree from UC while graduating with honors.

She benefitted from funding through the state that is specifically for current or former foster children. “Many of us are the first in our families to attend college. Ohio Reach allows us to be the first in our families to graduate college.”

Brown works as a coordinator for the Hamilton County Youth Advisory Board, an advocacy group for current and former foster youth that is working to improve the foster care system and influence policy change.

Malone notes that the programming at UC Blue Ash will include welcome packages for new students, financial aid workshops, networking events with other foster care alumni and support with finding housing or various community resources. She hopes the designation will also help the college in identifying students who were in foster care so they can apply for Education Training Vouchers (ETVs) through the state. The ETVs provide up to $5,000 per year for foster alumni who are currently in college. Emergency relief funding of up to $1,500 per year is also available through Ohio Reach.

“Identifying our students who have experience with foster care can be challenging,” said Malone. “We’re adding a question about this to our new student orientation materials, and we’re working on ways to better identify current students so they can apply for an ETV and access other resources available through the state. A lot of students could be eligible for funding that is specific to this population but just don’t know about it.”

Learn more about the Ohio Reach Postsecondary Designation, including a map of Ohio Reach schools.