Meet Khaleya Spence

 I am 1 out of 19,945 youth and young adults who aged out of the system in 2017. I was able to overcome all negative outcomes placed upon youth aging out of care. I have never experienced homelessness, never been unemployed, my family and I successfully transitioned out of poverty, my mom has reunified with all her children and owns a successful business. I haven ever been involved with the Criminal Justice System, and was able to focus on my education, receiving two degrees one in  Communication Arts and another in Strategic Communications from Temple University.

I have created Life Skills Curriculum: Becoming Charmed catered to increasing self-esteem of young women in care. I’ve lobbied in Washington D.C for the passing of the child welfare package through the U.S House of Representatives, and now host a podcast: The Life After Care that focuses enhance the voices of youth and young adults who have experienced foster care. But my most important job, is being a Life Skills Coach, as a person who once received Life Skills Education and IL Services to now a person who teaches life skill education and provides support to those in Independent Living programs.

All my successes are credited to Tabor Children's Sevices. Without the support, guidance, and financial tools provided to me by my Life Skills Specialist, Gloria Hall. Tabor Worker, Theresa Bauer, and BCC&Y Worker Debra Heagy, I don’t know where I would be today. As an advocate for the change of child welfare systems, my main goal is to create a universal life skills education and Independent living program across the state of Pennsylvania, and eventually across the country so that you just won’t hear one success story but all 19,945 youth who aged out of care, could have the same opportunities that I had at Tabor Children Services, so that we all can successfully transition into adulthood.