PROGRAMS

“It’s all about the young people Casa Valentina serves. In turn, being involved with the organization let’s us work toward something you can see, feel, do to better ourselves.”

Casa Valentina is an affordable housing and comprehensive wrap-around services program for at-risk and former foster care youth transitioning to independent living in Miami, Florida. We serve young women & young men.

Since we opened our doors in October 2006, Casa Valentina has served over 175 young men and women in our residential program. Then in 2010, Emmaus Place opened. Our young men’s facility is a close collaboration with Camillus House and Our Kids, serving young men aging out of foster care or who are otherwise at-risk of homelessness.

Residents in our programs must be enrolled in school – high school, college, a GED program, a vocational/certificate program, etc. – and making progress toward their educational goals. This makes them eligible for the State of Florida’s Road to Independence scholarship also known as P.E.S.S (Postsecondary Education Services and Support), which provides former foster youth with a monthly stipend of about $1,256, if they are in school and passing their classes. For more information, you can visit the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Other criteria for admission are:

  • Aging out or aged out of foster care
  • 18-24 years old
  • Drug free
  • Demonstrate the capacity to live independently
  • For our young women’s program: Not pregnant, and no children

Casa Valentina receives client referrals from the foster care case management agencies, other organizations and individuals working with foster youth, and our residents themselves. They are they best ambassadors for our program, and often suggest that their friends consider Casa Valentina when leaving the dependency system.

Youth can stay at Casa Valentina for one to three years, based on their individual needs. Once they leave our residential program, they can continue to receive support and services through our aftercare program.