NIU has the largest number of state wards in Illinois. To assist students coming to NIU from foster care, NIU will begin the Host Family program this year.

Many foster care students come to college without a supportive network of family and friends, said Debbie Whiteside , post-secondary education assistant adviser for the Education Access Project for the Illinois Department of Children Family Services.

“The goal of the Host Family Program is to offer a young adult a connection with a special individual or family during one of the most critical times in his or her life – the transition to adulthood,” Whiteside said. “By developing supportive relationships, youths can continue to develop and gain successes in interpersonal relations, education and vocational accomplishments.”

Sharon Freagon, the project director for the Center of Child Welfare and Education, said the Host Family Program is an excellent way for community members to give back by helping college students.

“The youths who attend the colleges, universities and tradeschools throughout the state that are current and former state wards, frequently do not have the stability of a traditional family,” Whiteside said.

The foster college students were the ones who originally initiated the program, said Diane DeLeonardo, who works with the DCFS.

“They wanted to have family to count on in case of an emergency, when they felt in need of adult guidance or even when they just felt lonely and in need of family/adult contacts,” DeLeonardo said. “The host families will provide this in addition to mentoring and adult role modeling for everything from being together during holidays to going to church to getting a job, apartment, buying a car and networking with other community members.”

An important factor in becoming a host family is the commitment it takes for host families and how they will interact with the families, Whiteside said.

“The host family will be asked to commit to a relationship with one young person for the course of no less than one full school year,” Whiteside said. “The host family is expected to initiate contact with the young person either though phone calls or person-to-person visits.”

DeLeonardo said she looks forward to the future of the Host Family Program.

“If the family enjoys college-age youth and culture, has an interest in helping support a young person in college, is flexible and has a young-at-heart attitude, then they are going to have a great time.”

Although the program will begin at NIU, it will go statewide eventually, Whiteside said.