General Operating for Scholars and Pathways Program

Support for foster and systems-impacted youth

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

LA County has the largest population of foster youth in the country at nearly 30K & 1500 exiting yearly. Youth exiting experience negative life outcomes far exceeding their non-foster peers. Foster youth often face the same debilitating poverty as their families & the cycle repeats.[ES1] According to the California LAO (Legislative Analyst Office) an estimated 53% of youth in foster care in 2023‑24 were removed from families who met Federal Aid to Families with Dependent Children requirements. This equates to earnings of under $1,000 per month for a family of four. Their children then face a life is foster care. A UFC survey revealed that 60% experienced two or more home placements & 16% more than four. These major physical disruptions leave youth to navigate adolescence & the transition to adulthood alone.  Further, research has shown that isolated youth are more likely to engage in high risk behaviors, struggle with depression & have higher rates of suicide ideation.

UFC seeks to build capacity to expand its career development services for current and former system-involved young adults (ages 18-25). As a result of the expansion, UFC will serve an additional 75 participants per year and broaden the scope of services offered. UFC plans to enhance its career assessment and planning tools; formalize its career workshop curriculum; offer supplemental coaching; expand internship opportunities; and increase cash assistance. With one-time funding, UFC has already hired an additional career and education coordinator position to support these efforts, and over the grant term UFC will seek to sustain the new coordinator, hire a second, and consider strategies to reallocate and prioritize existing resources to support our expansion. The goal of our enhanced capacity is to ensure more UFC youth are employed and better prepared for the workforce when they exit our programs.

Foster youth should exit care prepared to start the next chapter of their lives. They won’t overcome their trauma and be successful if we can’t support them. LA is increasingly unaffordable, even for the middle class. Financial stability has risen to the forefront in the minds of our youth. Students want to attain financial literacy and consistently identify economic stability as a main goal. Strengthening programs to support students interested in skilled trade industries provide a pathway to livable wage jobs. A trade certification, especially when paired with an AA degree, can provide a higher wage, while also preserving the goal of a future bachelor’s degree. Our students age 18-25 have seen success in completing certifications in HVAC, nursing, plumbing, electrical, radiology, and cosmetology. This workforce focus will increase the quality of life for our foster youth and result in skilled workers, improving the county with a decrease in reliance on public support.