SEATTLE, WA – Casey Family Programs has made a commitment to support youth employment programs serving over 800 current and former foster youth. The five programs, located in Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York City, will receive $675,000 of Casey Family Programs’ investment this year.
The project, named EmPLOY: Employment Programs and Life Opportunities for Youth, brings together state, county, and local resources to offer comprehensive services to youth, such as academic instruction and support, preparation for and exposure to the workplace, and support in developing skills for independent living and self sufficiency. Each program is based on solid youth development principles; collectively, they provide more intensive services than youth in foster care typically receive.
These projects were initiated by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2004 as recognition of the multiple barriers the foster youth population faces on the way to successful job placement and was subsequently funded with $4 million over two years. During that time, Casey Family Programs was a key partner in the evaluation process and provided valuable technical assistance to grantees.
“By initially funding these programs, the U.S. Department of Labor opened the door to employment opportunities for youth in foster care. It is a privilege for Casey Family Programs to continue these valuable education and employment services for youth in foster care,” said David Sanders, vice president of Casey Family Programs. “Too often, when foster youth leave care, they do not have early employment experience, such as an internship or structured job shadowing; these are essential developmental experiences that connect young people to the world of work. Our EmPLOY Project will help support these youth on a path to success.”
America’s foster care system serves over 800,000 young people annually. Research shows that only 52 percent of foster youth were employed 12 to 18 months after aging out of foster care. Even more troubling, over 25 percent of foster care alumni have been homeless for one day or more after aging out of foster care.
The five cities of Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, New York City, and Houston, have the largest number of youth in foster care in the nation, and are home to approximately 25 percent of this population. Foster youth in and around these cities are more likely to be a racial or ethnic minority, be a teen parent, have a disability, or drop out of high school.
The projects that Casey Family Programs will fund are:
- The Houston Alumni and Youth Center, operated by the Harris County Preparation for Adult Living Program in Houston, Texas
- Project New Futures, a program of the Alternative Schools Network of Chicago, Illinois;
- Passport to Success, operated by the Door, in New York, New York
- Creating Independence and Outcomes, supported in part by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth, in Detroit, Michigan
- Youth employment services of the Foothill Workforce Investment Board in Pasadena
- Community Build, a community-based agency in South Los Angeles, California
While the sites have taken varied approaches in each of their respective programs, all sites have engaged local communities, America’s workforce system, foster parents, teachers, and employers to improve employment opportunities for foster youth. All sites are implementing a set of services that provides youth with academic instruction and support, preparation for and exposure to the workplace, assistance in developing skills for self-sufficiency, and the supportive services youth need to succeed in school and at work.