NMCAN

NMCAN supports young people ages 14-25 impacted by foster care, the juvenile justice system, and/or homelessness in their transition to adulthood. We work toward building robust and strong communities – with young people at the center – through equity, healing, and access to healthy relationships and opportunities. We aim to create sustainable impact – strong, clear bridges for young people (YP) impacted by systems to become their authentic selves, lead satisfying lives, and promote systems change. In our programming, we work to: Connect YP to healthy relationships with peers and community networks to strengthen their sense of belonging Build young people’s leadership skills around personal growth and self-advocacy Guide partners and systems to reflect the needs, values, and priorities of young people We developed various programs specifically designed to complement one another and address the various needs of our target population. Our programming promotes community, equity, and access to “normal” experiences. These include: Intentional Community Building (ICB) which are community-building spaces and outings where YP build healthy relationships with each other, staff, and community partners. ICB also serves as part of our base-building spaces where YP are encouraged to bring friends/family and become a part of our community. Opportunity Passport (OP) which is an 8-week incentivized financial literacy program that promotes YP long-term financial viability and financial literacy. This program contains personalized financial coaching for young people, a 1:1 match program, and seed money to get them banked. Parent Group which is a monthly, professionally guided group that provides skill-building and community-building for young parents. This group connects parents to community resources and provides a safe space where young parents can learn from each other and talk about the complexities of parenting. Youth Leaders which is our system’s change programming contains two leadership pathways. First, we offer trainings for young people on subjects such as communication, advocacy, public speaking, systems of oppression – all of which are co-facilitated by young people. Through this, they develop the skills to support them in becoming advocates and leaders. The second pathway engages YP in the policy process – creating policy solutions, educating community and policymakers and building relationships with community partners, and advocating for change.