Helping Former Foster Parenting Students Excel

Support for foster and systems-impacted youth

Gateway Cities

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

Lack of housing/transportation stability, technology, childcare, and engagement are barriers for former foster youth in higher ed and impede social-economic mobility. One student mentioned, "with no support from my family, I doubted whether pursuing higher education was the right decision."
Nationwide, about 3% of foster-impacted youth graduate from college. National Foster Youth Institute reports that 7 in 10 girls aged-out of foster care become pregnant by the 21 yoa. According to the California Department of Social Services, 26% of young women in foster care become pregnant by age 17, and 40% will have another child by 18. There is also a higher chance of their own children being placed into the foster care system, creating an intergenerational cycle of system-involvement. Providing urgent interventions and resources for LINC parenting students will help end this cycle. In the 23/24 academic year, 24% of our former/emancipated students were parents, half having more than one child.

LINC provides holistic services to support former foster youth attending Cerritos College. Funding an expansion to support parenting students in 4 critical areas through its HOPE initiative will ensure access to tools necessary for success:
Technology support (Laptops and Hotspots) addresses accessibility and equity issues that impact academic success. Parents often enroll in online courses and study at home due to family responsibilities. Also, college enrollment and most student services are online. Parenting students need consistent, flexible, and reliable tech to succeed.
Childcare grants will allow parents to focus on preparing for midterms/finals and to study independently, attend tutoring, study sessions, counseling appointments, and office hours. This support will allow their children to be cared for so that parents can focus on successful completion, without the burden of cost.
Housing and transportation stabilization is critical. Foster youth experience homelessness at much higher rates, thus emergency housing, rent and utilities grants will help stabilize them so that they focus on their studies and lessen trauma to children.  Transportation aid will allow students to get to school, attend appointments and workshops, and eliminate added stress.
To maintain engagement and active participation and ensure accessibility for all parenting students, LINC’s HOPE will host monthly in-person and Zoom workshops addressing life and study skills.

Supporting former foster youth parenting students at Cerritos will transform Los Angeles County by breaking cycles of poverty and foster care. With targeted resources, these students can complete their education, gain stable employment, and provide secure futures for their children. This leads to higher economic mobility, reduced reliance on public systems, and healthier family outcomes.
As graduates enter the workforce, their annual earnings increase by over $8,000 with an associate degree and over $30,000 once earning a bachelor’s degree. A regional labor market study found that for every dollar society invests in Cerritos College, Californians receive a cumulative value of $10.50 in benefits for the course of their graduates’ careers.
Thousands of former Cerritos students are employed in our service area, receiving higher earnings and increasing employers’ productivity. Alumni of the college support 4,208 jobs, generating $378.2 million in added income for the regional economy.