Imagine being abused or neglected, as a child, to the point where the state removes you from the only family you have known. For your own safety, you are forced to move in with strangers, away from your family, friends, and classmates, and this happens repeatedly. Then on your 18th birthday, you must leave your last foster family. You are on your own, often homeless and without a job, and with no family to support you financially or emotionally.
TRAC was founded in 2003 to address this challenge, annually providing transition services to foster and homeless youth across a 19-county region. These services, provided at TRAC’s Dallas and Fort Worth locations, are designed to help young people successfully transition to becoming productive and flourishing adult members of society.
TRAC provides about 1,200 young people, annually, with life skills training, crisis intervention, transition planning, housing assistance, workforce support, education assistance, physical and mental health services, and drop-in centers.
Life Skills Training: TRAC contracts with the state to facilitate the interactive Preparation for Adult Living (PAL) program, which first assesses and then prepares foster youth for adult life in advance of their leaving care.
Crisis Intervention: TRAC counselors triage calls and provide immediate support to youth in crisis to help stabilize and connect with necessary resources.
Transition Planning: TRAC case managers, more commonly referred to as coaches, provide wrap-around support through assessment, mapping out future challenges and opportunities, supportive counseling, and referral to resources.
Housing Assistance: TRAC connects youth to a variety of housing programs, some operated by TRAC and others operated by TRAC partners.
Workforce Support: TRAC workforce coaches help young people prepare for employment, find jobs and retain them.
Education Assistance: TRAC assists with applications, obtaining financial aid and tuition waivers, registration, purchasing supplies, and securing student housing.
Mental and Physical Health Services: TRAC connects youth to trauma-informed clinicians.
Drop-In Centers: Both TRAC locations, in Dallas and Fort Worth, provide a home base, where youth can receive services, find a meal or a snack, work on a computer and access wi-fi, and relax in warm and supportive surroundings.