Stepping Forward LA

In 2017, Stepping Forward LA (SFLA) was founded to improve outcomes for young adults aging out of foster care. We have served countless foster youth in Los Angeles County, providing workforce development through our short-term paid internship, community through peer and co-mentoring and resources through our Stepping Forward App. We launched our housing initiative in January of 2024 to support former foster youth in finding - and keeping - safe, stable and affordable housing, along with providing wraparound services.

Since 2017, we've provided paid internships to 239 former foster youth. Every year, interns work on projects central to our mission, allowing us to deliver programs by and for foster youth. We're now leveraging our proven internship model to address one of their biggest obstacles: housing. With a strong network of housing partners and a specialized curriculum, we'll help youth secure stable housing and gain independent living skills as they exit foster care, while sharing what they learn through our mobile app to benefit thousands more youth.

At Stepping Forward LA (SFLA), we empower youth in foster care by leveraging the expertise of individuals who have been through the system. Last year, our community of former foster youth developed an interactive mobile app to help youth build skills, access resources, and get support as they enter adulthood. Over the next year, we will guide 400 current and former foster youth through our app to gain stability and a foundation to thrive. We will also create 24 internships that pay former foster youth to continue improving the app.