Independent Living
Empowering Youth as They Become Adults
Supporting Youth In Transition
Young people leaving care face extraordinary challenges. We recognize the critical importance of youth having a support system who will provide them with life skills and connections to resources so they can experience success.
Youth Transitional Services
Independent Living Plus (ILP)
Holy Cross Services’ ILP program provides a safe, nurturing group like home setting for youth transitioning from foster care or residential programming. ILP provides for intensive coaching, life skills training and connections with communication resources to ensure the young person has the means to care for their physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
Independent Living (IL)
Holy Cross Services’ IL program is designed for young people who need additional financial and emotional support while developing the necessary skills to become functioning members within their community. This type of setting allows for the young person to reside with an approved adult or within their own apartment like setting.
Young Adult Voluntary Foster Care (YAVFC)
Holy Cross Services’ YAVFC allows youth formerly in foster care who are between the ages of 18-21 to receive continued financial and emotional support. Services include extended foster care benefits, case management services, tuition assistance and financial support.
Foster
Care
“Holy Cross knows how to treat us. People tend to think that kids in foster care are needy and don’t have normal lives like everyone else. They (Staff) don’t think of us like that. They treat us like who we are – normal kids who are just having a hard time in life.”
“That’s what else is great about the staff here. They don’t pretend like everything is okay when we first arrive. They understand that this is a very hard process. They sit us down and ask, ‘Are you okay?’ The staff actually care about us and understand that it isn’t easy to adapt right away.”
– Jenna H.
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Foster Care >
Shelter &
Community
“I am an Army Vet and I was the first woman in the Veterans’ Housing Program. It’s the best program. The staff there did everything they could to help me find safe, stable permanent housing. They helped get the support I needed mentally and helped with whatever I needed. They talked to me. They hooked me up with people that could help me. I didn’t have any help before. Anything I needed they found for me.”
“They were very big on supporting me on getting out of there. I couldn’t ask for a better group of people. This is the most important group of people you could think of when looking for information. It is a very much needed program here in Lansing and the people that work there have heart and are very supportive and have a great set of ears.”
– Donna T.
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Shelter & Community >
Independent
Living
“When I came to Holy Cross, I didn’t have any other options after I aged out of the system. I didn’t have anyone I could really trust that I knew was on my side, all the time, no matter what was happening.”
“The staff helped me a lot when I was there. Being independent was a scary thing for me, but the more I learned, and was able to trust the people around me, I started to have more confidence in myself and knowing that I was able to keep my support system meant a lot to me.”
“I am really thankful to the program and the staff. They treated me with respect and although I’m not real religious, I do believe there is a Higher Power that helped me to get here and get a second lease on life.”
– Ramon R.
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Independent Living >
Residential &
Family
“The people here are very supportive and it is a good, helpful community. The staff all help me. When I feel down, they help lift me up with my confidence and they encourage me to never give up. They helped me with finding 2 jobs and I am now caught up in school.
I am happy I came here because I now have a better chance at being successful in life.”
