Government and community social-service agencies work hard to serve youth, but are young people any the better for it?
- Does meeting with job counselors help them land jobs?
- Do tutoring sessions increase their odds of earning a diploma or GED?
- Are youth getting the right help to start living on their own in the community after foster care?
Casey Family Programs is leading an effort to find the answers in Alameda County, California. In a project called Forging the Links, Casey’s Bay Area field office is working with the Alameda County Independent Living Skills Program (ILSP) on a county-wide strategy to help young people become self-sufficient adults after leaving foster care.
Spotlight on results
The focus on results stems from reforms in California’s child welfare program and new requirements in federal Chafee Foster Care Independence legislation that address the needs of youth who are exiting foster care and entering adulthood.
Starting in 2003, the first order of business was to take stock of all the agencies—government, community-based, and faith-based—providing services in areas such as housing, employment, education, and health to youth making the transition from foster care to adulthood. Casey recruited service providers and youth in foster care to help determine how to improve results for transitioning youth.
Early results
Forging the Links is already making a difference in:
- Employment. Making three one-stop job centers more youth-friendly by including on staff an alumni of foster care who’s tuned in to young people’s job search needs.
- Homelessness. Recommending additional housing—from emergency shelter beds to subsidized apartments—to meet the needs of youth as they move into the community.
- Community support. Identifying how faith-based and community organizations can meet needs such as matching youth with mentors and finding families to house college students when dorms are closed during school breaks.
For more information, contact Richard Otto at 510.444.4025.