Learn & Launch: Empowering Foster Youth for Career Success

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)

In Los Angeles County—the nation’s largest foster care system—over 30,000 youth face overwhelming barriers. Though 93% aspire to graduate college, fewer than 4% earn a bachelor’s degree by age 26, compared to 50% of their peers. Foster youth navigate academic challenges, financial insecurity, lack of family support and social capital, limited career exposure and opportunities, and the lasting effects of trauma alone. The consequences are stark: half remain unemployed or underemployed, nearly one-third struggle to pay rent, 20% experience homelessness within a year of aging out, and over 40% face incarceration. Tracey, an RTS Scholar, puts it plainly: “I have no family or friends to rely on. Without a good job, I won’t be able to take care of myself.” In today’s volatile political and economic landscape—marked by inflation, housing shortages, and cuts to social services—these vulnerabilities are intensifying, making immediate, targeted intervention critical.

As the only CA organization solely dedicated to this mission, RTS will use an LA2050 grant to expand its flagship Career Accelerator Program (CAP), tripling annual enrollment from 50 to 150 foster youth in LA County. CAP delivers trauma-informed, holistic workforce development with a 1:30 advisor-to-Scholar ratio—far below the state campus average of 1:1,000+—providing personalized, consistent support through a four-year continuum during college to career launch.
CAP’s core components are 1:1 coaching and workshops; a professional network; social, emotional, and mental health support; paid internships; and up to $5,000 annually in targeted financial support. This model integrates individualized coaching and trauma-responsive care to help Scholars overcome academic, emotional, and practical barriers through 4 critical phases—Activate, Accelerate, Amplify, and Advance—guiding them through career exploration, internship placement, graduation, and their first year of full-time work or graduate school. Unlike typical workforce programs, CAP’s design adapts support to each Scholar’s lived experience, promoting resilience and sustained success.
RTS partners with 60+ universities, employers, organizations, and providers to deliver wraparound care—empowering Scholars to persist in college and launch stable, meaningful careers. Our outcomes speak volumes: 100% of Scholars graduate within 6 years, 85% secure career-track employment within 12 months and 95% envision a brighter future.

If RTS’s expansion succeeds, LA County will see more foster youth graduate college and launch stable, career-track jobs—helping to resolve homelessness, unemployment, and incarceration challenges while advancing LA2050’s goals to boost graduation and career readiness for underserved youth. This initiative will support 150 foster youth annually, creating ripple effects that uplift families, schools, and neighborhoods. Tamar, an RTS Scholar, shares, “I was always afraid of my future... afraid I’d end up on the streets, have a mental health crisis, or drug addiction.” By empowering youth with trauma-informed support and opportunities, we reduce reliance on emergency services, prevent crises, and strengthen community safety and resilience. Raven, RTS alumna and practicing lawyer, says, “RTS supported me during every transition and gave me the confidence and tools I needed to succeed.” RTS ensures LA’s most vulnerable, resilient youth don’t just earn degrees, they launch careers and thrive.