Volunteers of America, Dakotas' Independent Living Preparation Program provides shelter, case management, life skills, and education services to young people ages 16 to 21, who are preparing for independent living. The program provides young people with a safe, supportive environment while they learn the skills necessary to succeed on their own. The Independent Living Preparation Program offers:

• Safe, affordable shelter
• Life skills education and training
• Interpersonal skill building
• Education completion
• Job preparation skills
• Mental and physical health care
• Case management
• 24-hour crisis on-call

The goal of the Independent Living Preparation Program is to assist homeless young people in making a successful transition to self sufficiency, prevent long-term dependency on the social services system, and provide an option for older youth who need assistance in transitioning into adulthood.

The homeless are everywhere, in nearly every U.S. community, living with friends, family, or in shelters. But there's a different kind of need that's growing by the day. They're not kids, but they're not adults either; they're somewhere in between, and they're often called the "hidden homeless."

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More than 1,000 children live in temporary homes through South Dakota's foster care system. But when they turn 18, some find themselves without a home. National studies show more than 20 percent of teens who "age out" of the foster care system end up in jail within two years. Others end up on the street. But Volunteers of America, Dakotas is helping teens who find themselves on their own transition into adulthood.

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