June 1—FAIRMONT — Take a look at the number of children in foster care in West Virginia.
There are currently 6,094 children and teenagers in these conditions, according to figures from the Ministry of Health and other sources.
And this is in a place where only 1.7 million people live in total, whatever it is.
Compare these figures with, for example, Oregon, where its more than 5 million residents include 4,800 children cared for by foster parents.
Appalachia is socially and economically different from the Pacific Northwest, but there is a commonality that makes it entirely academic.
Or not.
That’s because foster kids here, there and everywhere don’t go to college.
Well, they do – but only in numbers that are minuscule compared to their peers who come from more stable home environments.
The National Youth Foster Institute notes that only about 4% of youth who emerge from foster care (and out of high school) will go to college to complete a four-year degree.
And the percentage of students from that community pursuing a two-year degree is about 2 to 6 percent, the institute further notes.
Fairmont State University wants to change that with a program that is currently the only one of its kind in the country.
The school partners with KVC West Virginia, a nonprofit child welfare and mental health organization, to open the doors of academia to the aforementioned populations who might otherwise never have the opportunity.
It’s called “Middle College” and will launch this fall on Fairmont State’s main campus on Locust Avenue.
Eligible students will live in a supervised residence hall while simultaneously taking courses to earn their high school diploma and a two-year college degree.
Opening the door Fairmont State President Mike Davis said he can’t wait to see what will happen – once the first group of students, who will begin their studies in August, move out.
This goes back to even more figures that are not always in favor of foster children, related to education and their place in society.
Nationally, about 50% of foster children graduate from high school—and each year in the U.S., about 20,000 of them simply fall out of the system.
They are unleashed, with little education or vocational training, into a working world where jobs are scarce and competition is fierce.
Some empowerment is in order, Davis said.
“Fairmont State will provide transformative opportunities to a vulnerable but deserving population,” the president said, “and unleash the tremendous potential of these students.”
Middle College is open to youth between the ages of 16 and 18 who are currently in foster care.
What you make of it…
The program will accept 50 students this fall and while there is no cost, there is a caveat, said Sarah Marshall, a KVC West Virginia coordinator who will help manage Fairmont State’s Middle College operation.
That means students just want to go, she said. Really.
“Young people in foster care are resilient,” she said. “We are looking for students who are highly motivated and excited about this opportunity for their education.”
The program also aims to help students recoup academic losses due to irregular school attendance — if they have been bounced out of multiple foster homes during their experience with the system, Marshall said.
Applications will be accepted through June 21, Marshall said, and students will receive assistance completing the forms. An interview is also part of the process.
Visit fairmontstate.edu/middle-college for complete details.
Brent Lemon, president of KVC West Virginia, said he likes the spirit of the program.
He likes that Gov. Jim Justice, several state lawmakers and the Department of Education also have buy-in.
And he appreciates, he continued, that professors work together with case managers, therapists and other specialized staff to maximize all opportunities for a population that too often fails in society through no fault of its own.
“Middle College offers young people a unique opportunity to realize their educational dreams,” Lemon said, “while receiving unwavering stability and support.”
