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A Collaborative Model for Career Mobility in Transitional Age Youth Exiting the Foster Care System

Young adults aging out of the foster care system have immense potential, yet they often face significant barriers to long-term success due to limited support networks. While many secure entry-level jobs, they lack career mobility—the opportunity to develop skills, advance professionally, and achieve financial stability.

Learn more about this unique team mentoring model

THE TAMPA BAY INITIATIVE

To address this challenge, a coalition of Tampa Bay businesses, churches, and foster care organizations is launching an initiative that will change those outcomes. Through this program, when an employer hires a young adult transitioning from foster care, churches and other community organizations implement Open Table, an evidence-driven, trained and structured model where volunteers provide relationships and access to their social capital networks to remove barriers to job retention and promotion.

Over the course of a year, that team helps the young adult overcome barriers, navigate workplace challenges, develop critical career skills, and build the foundation for long-term success. The Link2Hope technology platform further strengthens the initiative by providing ongoing digital access to relationships, providers, resources, and a supportive network that extends beyond the first year of employment.

A Proven, Practical Model.

Life-Changing Results.

DEFINING THE CHALLENGE

Lack of Access to Relational & Social Capital

At the core of this issue for these young adults is the lack of access to relational and social capital—essential components of career growth and economic mobility.

Relational capital is formed through sustaining, reciprocal relationships that provide encouragement and support. Social capital encompasses the knowledge, skills, and professional networks that create pathways to career advancement. Without these critical resources, young adults aging out of foster care face significant challenges, including difficulty navigating workplace expectations due to limited soft skills training, isolation that contributes to mental health struggles, financial instability due to gaps in budgeting and financial literacy, lack of reliable transportation that disrupts job attendance, and difficulties accessing healthcare and behavioral health services.

CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGE

The consequences of these challenges are severe. Only 50 percent of former foster youth are employed by age 24, and those working earn an average of $7,550 less per year than their peers.

Many face even more incredible hardships, with 20 percent experiencing homelessness immediately after aging out of care, 70 percent of young women becoming pregnant by age 21, and 27 percent of male former foster youth encountering incarceration.

Without intervention, these barriers continue to prevent young adults from achieving long-term financial security and professional success.

THE CHURCH & BUSINESS COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP

By developing partnerships rooted in proven change models, churches and businesses can play a critical role in transforming the economic trajectory of these young adults.

This initiative goes beyond job placement to provide structured, long-term support that fosters career mobility. Table Members offer relationships and professional connections that help remove barriers to job retention and advancement.

By working together, churches and businesses can break cycles of instability, promote economic independence, and ensure that young adults aging out of foster care are equipped to thrive in the workforce and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

The initiative is built on a collaborative approach, led by two key organizations, each playing a critical role in the success of the program:

OPEN TABLE – Serves as the foundation for mentorship and support. The Open Table Model trains the community to support transition-aged youth navigating employment and life challenges. A dedicated team of four trained church and community members forms a support system around a young adult, known as the “Friend.” These volunteers meet regularly for a year to provide mentorship, relationship-building, and access to social capital networks that remove employment barriers. This evidence-based model has been successfully implemented in 34 states, helping young adults build stability and achieve long-term career growth.

MEET THE NEED – MTN’s Link2Hope technology platform provides the digital infrastructure for the Open Table model, ensuring continuous connection and support. This centralized hub facilitates real-time communication and resource sharing between Table Members and Friends. It allows them to track goals, offer mentorship support, and access AI-powered referrals connecting young adults with valuable resources and local service providers. Link2Hope is designed to foster empowerment and self-sufficiency, discouraging dependency and encouraging young adults to build their individual support networks and navigate challenges with the help of their Table Members.

The Table Care Model

Working alongside a team of volunteers to serve and support a selected aging-out foster care adult for one year.

Advantages of Table Care

You’re never alone.
You’re working as a team.
A telational, not transactional-focused approach to support.
Working on one issue at a time is manageable and not overwhelming.
A one-year commitment allows time to develop genuine trust, producing impactful relationships and outcomes.