Beyond Foster Care: Learning skills to live independently 
When young adults age out of foster care at 18, many of their services abruptly end. For some, that means they have no home, no job, no advanced education and no knowledge of how to live independently. And some face these daunting challenges without family and caring adults to provide continuing support.

Pilot grant focuses on work experience for young women
The Women and Girls Fund of Waukesha County (WGF) has provided a $15,000 pilot grant to Forward Careers to enhance its Independent Living Program, which provides services in the areas of housing, employment, education, transportation, health and well-being to help young adults aging out of foster care live independently.

The WGF grant will enable the Independent Living Program to offer a new work experience program for young women in Waukesha County, providing the skills necessary to find and maintain employment. The program includes paid work experience and additional work incentives, as well as counseling in career planning and budgeting, and ongoing support to resolve any work-related issues. The primary goal is to help these young women find full-time employment and complete budgets to work toward independence.

Beyond Foster Care Fund
Regina Baecher Oberlin of Brookfield created the endowed Beyond Foster Care Fund within the WGF. To learn what inspired her to create the fund and for more information about the pilot grant, click here.  
Celebrate the extraordinary accomplishments of women in our community and help us improve the lives of women and girls at our largest fundraising event of the year.

For more information on the virtual event and sponsorship opportunities, visit our website at wgfwaukeshacounty.org/women-of-distinction/.
Thank you to our 2021 Women of Distinction event sponsors
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The Women and Girls Fund of Waukesha County, established in 2004, seeks to aid and enrich the lives of women and girls so they become thriving residents of their communities. Since 2005, the Women and Girls Fund has awarded more than $1,128,000 to non-profit organizations that promote the health, well-being, education and empowerment of women and girls of all ages.