Jobs and Hope for Former Foster Youth

Support for foster and systems-impacted youth

Antelope Valley

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Each year, approximately 1,000 youth age out of the Los Angeles' foster care system. Many are thrust into adulthood without the skills, support, or opportunities they need to thrive. Within just 18 months, half will be unemployed. Forty percent will experience homelessness. Fewer than 3% will earn a college degree, and one in four will end up incarcerated within two years. Perhaps most heartbreaking of all, nearly half of the children born to youth who were in foster care will enter the system themselves—continuing a devastating generational cycle.
These outcomes are not the result of a lack of potential, but a lack of opportunity. It is a public issue with generational consequences, and solving it will require solutions tailored to this population. Rise & Shine exists to change that by offering a supportive first job in a real business setting, a community of mentorship and growth, and a platform for confidence to rise and shine as a productive member of the community.

Rise & Shine is a mobile car wash social enterprise designed to tackle the alarming rates of homelessness and unemployment among foster youth aging out of the system by offering a tangible, transformative solution.
We bring eco-conscious car detailing services directly to homes, workplaces, and public spaces—but our true mission is workforce and life readiness for current and former foster youth. What makes Rise & Shine unique is our dual-impact model: every service provides high-quality car care to customers while delivering job training, mentorship, coaching and parenting skills to youth who are typically excluded from traditional employment pipelines.
Youth gain immediate, dignified income, while also building critical skills through weekly life-skill coaching, budgeting help, goal-setting sessions and parenting workshops. Each participant graduates with a resume, professional reference, and a clear path forward into education, full-time work, or entrepreneurship.
By Year 1, we will hire and train 10–15 youth, ensuring 100% receive mentorship and 80% transition into long-term stability. Rise & Shine is more than a job—it’s a stepping stone to a future where every young person has the tools, confidence, and support to rise. Our program isn’t just about the work today—it's about preparing youth for tomorrow and preventing homelessness, incarceration and unemployment among the foster youth population.

When Rise & Shine is successful, LA County will be a place where former foster youth don’t fall through the cracks—they rise. Our vision is a community where aging out of foster care no longer leads to homelessness, joblessness, or incarceration, but instead opens doors to employment, mentorship, and purpose. Launching in the Antelope Valley, Rise & Shine provides a path forward for 10–15 youth in Year 1 with 80% expected to transition into jobs, education, or entrepreneurship. Our model proves that opportunity—not charity—drives transformation. As we grow, we’ll scale across LA County by adding vans, hiring more youth, and expanding services. Rise & Shine is more than a business—it’s a movement for dignity, resilience, and community reinvestment. Success means lives changed, cycles broken, and a future where every young person has support. A successful Rise & Shine mobile wash van means a brighter future for the youth who power it—and a stronger, more inclusive LA County for all.