About

With Health Education Trainers across the state, SYNC utilizes evidence-based approaches that have been proven to reduce the prevalence of teen pregnancy, unhealthy relationships, and STI/STDs, while increasing self awareness and empowering decision making – all needs that are more prevalent with youth in care.

Youth in out-of-home care have higher rates of pregnancy, STIs, and associated sexual risk behaviors than youth living with their families. They are more likely to experience sexual violence and exploitation. Teen girls in foster care are two-and-a-half times more likely to get pregnant, while more than half of both teen girls and boys who age out of care or extend their time in care will have children before they turn 20.

Meet the team

Ted Sikes, SYNC Program Director

With over 20 years of experience teaching youth and training professionals in regard to sexual health education, dating violence prevention, and STI and teen pregnancy prevention. He has worked with thousands of young people using evidence-based curricula such as Wise Guys and Making Proud Choices, and he has trained professionals across the country in how to replicate programming and strengthen communication with youth about sexual health.

Ted has a BA in English from High Point University. He also has a MA in Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Phoenix, which has been instrumental in developing and implementing curricula for young people. Ted is also recognized by the North Carolina Addictions Specialist Practice Board as a Certified Prevention Specialist.

Ted resides in High Point, North Carolina with his wife and four children. In his spare time, he works on his first book and roots very hard for the Chicago Cubs.

Jeanne Irwin-Olson

As a seasoned health education professional with over 27 years of experience in the field of public health education. Her primary focus and passion is improving the sexual health education of and access to sexual health care for teens and young adults. She earned a BA in Women’s Studies from Appalachian State University in 1992 and a Master’s in Public Health Education from UNCG in 1995. Jeanne retired from UNCG in 2020 and has worked for the Children’s Home Society since April 2022, most recently in the role of SYNC Education Trainer for the Central Region of North Carolina. Jeanne lives in Greensboro NC with her husband and is missing her son who’s away and LOVING it, at UNCW.

Titianna Goings 

Titianna, or better known as TiTi to friends and family, is a proud mom of 2 boys , one biologically and a brother through adoption – both her sons. Titianna has done full time work at an outpatient therapy facility for the mentally disabled and those recovering from substance use disorders for 8 years as a Peer Support Specialist and also worked with SaySo as an Independent Contractor and Sexual Health Facilitator liaison with SaySo – teaching young adults to advocate for their sexual and reproductive health rights, as well as their physical health care rights with Fostering Health NC. Titianna is most proud of her newly gained role as an Education Trainer for Eastern North Carolina with SYNC through CHS to carry on with advocating and promoting healthy decisions to youth about their sexual and reproductive health rights. Titianna was in foster care since birth, resulting in different placements, adoption, then back into the system. As she transitioned into adulthood, she always kept the motto: “When you know better, you can do better,” and that has helped her help young adults in out-of-home care.

Ja’Cole Knight, Health Education Trainer

Ja’Cole loves educating people in general but has a special knack for working with youth. The opportunity to interact with people is one of the most important things to her, and she uses every opportunity to shine her light into the world. She is known to live by the mantra “But what if you fly? ” in order to inspire others to remain hopeful and positive in the face of adversity.

Ja’Cole is from eastern NC native and loves being outdoors. She fell in love with Public Health at East Carolina University, receiving degrees in both Public Health (BS) and Health Education (MA).

In her free time, you can find her listening to music, shopping, traveling, reading, and learning new things. She resides in Charlotte, covering the 33 counties in the western region of the state. The SYNC team is thrilled to have Ja’Cole on board!

Why is SYNC important?

Children’s Home Society (CHS) is now offering the new and innovative SYNC (Sexual Health for Youth in Care) program with the goal of providing FREE sexual health education for both out-of-home teens and the professionals who work with them.

“Youth in care are not only navigating the developmental changes that all adolescents and young adults are experiencing, but they are dealing with the extra emotions associated with being removed from their biological families,” said Ted Sikes, SYNC Program Director for CHS. “SYNC provides us with the effective, research-based prevention strategies to improve the sexual reproductive health of these youth.” The curriculum Making Proud Choices will be utilized.

Last year CHS served more than 20,000 North Carolina children and families providing over 4,800 families with parent education and support services and creating a safe family placement for nearly 1,100 children who are in foster care. Children’s Home Society has celebrated more than 16,000 adoptions since its founding in 1902, remaining steadfast in its mission to promote the right of every child to a permanent, safe, and loving family.

Our Guiding Principles

We believe that sexual health education is critical to the health and wellbeing of young people in care, and that sexual health education should be:

  1. Presented as a normal, natural, and healthy part of human development;
  2. Medically accurate and unbiased;
  3. Trauma-informed;
  4. Comprehensive; evidence-based and skills driven;
  5. Relevant to current needs and age appropriate;
  6. Taught early and often, especially during adolescence;
  7. Updated regularly based on emerging new information;
  8. Grounded in social justice and equity, honors the diversity of young people, and promotes awareness, understanding, and appreciation of diversity and inclusion;
  9. Provided in coordination with additional resources and referrals as needed;
  10. Developed in collaboration with youth in care with ongoing feedback; and
  11. Delivered by authentic, qualified and caring professionals in an interactive approach where youth voices, experiences and questions are valued.

Many youth in out-of-home care do not have a trusting relationship with an adult that could provide sexual health education during adolescence, when risky sexual behaviors could occur.  We believe that all professionals who care for young people should receive ongoing staff development to facilitate conversations about sexual health education and collaborate to provide SYNC programming directly to youth in care.

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