Employment

Project HOPE – We advocate for youth in care through participation in Project HOPE to ensure the needs of at-risk youth are represented and addressed. We partner with Northeast Iowa Community College, The City of Dubuque, Iowa Workforce Development, The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, the Chamber of Commerce and Greater Dubuque Development, Inc. to develop an effective approach to engage employers to offer opportunities for youth which may include job shadowing, internships, facility tours, mentoring, etc. For more information contact Tara Nelson at the Community Foundation (588-2700).

Iowa Aftercare Services – We promote and support Iowa Aftercare Services. Aftercare serves youth aged 18-21 who were formerly in foster care. The program works with the youth on housing, employment, higher education and other transitional issues through the development of a self-sufficiency plan. For more information about Aftercare services contact Teresa Parks at Four Oaks (557-3100).

Youth Offender Expansion Grant – SYV has enabled the sharing of information about the Youth Offender Expansion Grant offered through ECIA and other opportunities, which have opened doors for many of targeted system-involved youth. To learn more about the Youth Offender Expansion Grant contact Ron Axtell at East Central Intergovernmental Association (556-5800 x136).

Department of Human Services and Dubuque Community School District Collaboration - The Iowa Department of Human Services is collaborating with the Dubuque Community School District to combine their Family Team Meetings with the school’s IEP meetings. This collaboration would eliminate duplicated meetings and hopefully better meet the needs of our youth and their family support system.