TAMPA - She left her home in the Bronx the first time at 15, then for good two years later, leaving behind one abusive situation for another.

But Karen Willis-Barrett turned her life around with help from friends, who told her she was smart, beautiful and talented.

"They gave me hope," said the 39-year-old wayward teen turned teacher, who graduated from college, got married and had three children.

Now Willis-Barrett wants to help other struggling young women by opening a group home filled with unconditional love, wisdom and encouragement. She dreamed up Molding Outcomes Inc. six years ago with her husband, Eric, a computer support specialist. They wanted to take in girls ages 13 to 17 in the state's foster care system and provide them with a safe place to grow.

She started procedures to get licensed by the Florida Department of Children & Families in August 2005, but a year and a half later the home remains unlicensed and Willis-Barrett is frustrated.

"Those are the kids trying to figure out who they are," she said. "We need to tell them that they're special - at a time when they're most vulnerable."

The worker in charge of Willis-Barrett's application left his job, pushing her request to the bottom of the pile, she said. Then DCF wanted her to come up with more money to ensure she could afford to keep the program going, she said.

The delays left Willis-Barrett searching for another way to reach out. She plans to open her home to young adults 18 and older who don't have family support but want to succeed in life.

Willis-Barrett hopes to receive referrals from agencies that work with abused and neglected children, but because she will house legal adults, she won't need a license from DCF.

"Let's stop the bureaucracy and let's find a way to help these kids," she said.
Filling The Gap

Willis-Barrett drew on her skills as a teacher for special-needs children to design a program for young adults, offering educational support, life skills training, career preparation, computer access and transportation.

It's a program that is sorely needed, child welfare advocates say.

Each year, about 100 Hillsborough County teens age out of foster care, said Diane Zambito, executive director of Connected By 25, another program designed for teens making the transition from foster care to caring for themselves.

Some will qualify for monthly state stipends that help pay living expenses while they work and attend school. Others will end up unemployed and homeless.

There is a huge need for foster parents, but Zambito relished the idea of providing more services to teens on the verge of adulthood. Without a family network, those youths can get in trouble fast.

There's not much support for teens caught in the gap, Zambito said. "That's why our kids are failing so much."

There is another group of teens about to turn 18 who don't qualify for the state stipends because they have been in foster care less than six months or they live with a relative or friend, which doesn't meet the criteria.

"We're trying to reach these kids, but it's a huge challenge," said Mary Ann Kershaw, project director of the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA's youth transition program Workforce Empowerment.

The program promotes job training and education for such youths, and it helps with housing and transportation. Kershaw welcomed any efforts by Willis-Barrett to help.

"She's definitely found a niche for herself," said Kershaw, who hasn't met Willis-Barrett or seen her facility.
Taking The Steps

It may not have gone exactly as planned, but Willis-Barrett is set on making her plan work.

She cleared state background checks and took classes to learn lifesaving skills.

Then Willis-Barrett and her husband converted one side of their east Tampa duplex into a three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment outfitted with twin beds covered in flowered spreads, nightstands, comfy couches, a dining room table and chairs.

Molding Outcomes is a registered, nonprofit corporation with Willis-Barrett as chief executive officer, her husband as president, fellow teacher Gloria Blue-Vanalstyne as vice president, and a board of directors that includes Willis-Barrett's mother, a corrections officer.

After researching the idea for years, Willis-Barrett worked out a plan to support her dream. Each resident, who would probably qualify for some type of state aid, would pay $125 a week for housing, food and program services.

Willis-Barrett plans to leave her teaching job once the home is up and running and said she initially would work for free.

She is so ready to help others that she recently took in a homeless student and his mother after learning they lived in a hotel.

"You know, I couldn't turn my back on anybody," Willis-Barrett said. "Somebody might as well be living here."

For information, call Molding Outcomes at (813) 620-1591 or go to www.molding outcomes.org.

Researcher Melanie Coon contributed to this report. Reporter Sherri Ackerman can be reached at (813) 259-7144 or sackerman@tampatrib.com.