Ensure foster youth across the state have access to meaningful, engaging, educational support programming grounded in best practices and focused on achieving high school graduation and post-secondary matriculation rates that match or exceed those of their peers in the general population.
Together, tFYPC member organizations deliver educational support programming to over 3,000 youth annually, achieving a combined high school completion rate of 88.4% for foster care students. Additionally, 83% of graduating seniors in these model programs enroll in post-secondary programs.
Established in 2020, the Collective brings together six leading California-based nonprofit direct service providers committed to closing the educational opportunity gap for young people in foster care.
First Star partners with universities and child welfare agencies across the country to make a long-term investment in foster youth and change the course of their lives, from abuse and neglect to academic achievement and self-sufficiency. The Academies are long-term college readiness programs for high school foster youth that include both four immersive residential summers on a university campus, and monthly sessions during each school year. During the residential sessions, the youth are not only supported by highly qualified professionals, but also by peer mentors who are former foster youth attending the host university. Throughout all four years, Academy staff provides holistic, long-term education case management to the youth and their families to sustain the progress youth make during the university-immersion sessions.
CYFC’s mission is to facilitate multi-systems collaboration to ensure that foster youth graduate from high school, persist in college and transition to rewarding careers and lives. Founded in 1993, the agency delivers its ARISSE and College Level Up programs, which integrate multiple evidence-based practices, including tutoring, educational case management, college access and post-emancipation planning to foster youth at 65 schools in eight school districts. ARISSE received the prestigious Promising Practice designation from an external evaluation for the US Department of Education Innovation in Education Initiative. The program also provides college retention supports to foster youth enrolled in post-secondary education.
The Compassionate Education Systems initiative ensures students who are in foster care, experiencing homelessness, or involved with the probation system graduate high school with the widest array of possibilities for their futures. School-based interventions are highly collaborative and involve an asset-based, compassionate approach to youth-centered goal-setting and engagement that ensures each student’s voice leads educational decision-making. Youth development professionals partner with students to improve academic, social, and emotional outcomes and build relational trust between students and school personnel. At the community level, the Initiative helps agency and school professionals understand relevant laws and policies; strengthens systems that serve children and families; increases regional collaboration; and develops model policies. Six comprehensive reports published by external evaluators support improved outcomes in four demonstration sites (2019-2022).
Pivotal supports young people in and from foster care to realize their educational and career goals and ensure their equitable access to opportunity. The organization provides education and employment support programs that are youth-led, strengths-based, and future focused. Pivotal also works to strengthen and align the ecosystem by engaging stakeholders within government, schools, nonprofits and businesses, and by amplifying the voice of foster youth through advocacy. The Research Institute Foster Youth Initiative (RIFYI) at San Jose University’s School of Social Work conducted an external program evaluation (2010-2012).
Promises2Kids’ mission is to create a brighter future for foster children. The organization’s Guardian Scholars program supports current and former foster youth with mentoring, case management and a financial scholarship to pursue their educational dreams, determine a career path, and advance to complete their vocational training, community college or university education. Guardian Scholars are mentored by peers with lived experience of foster care, adults in the community who stay connected to the youth after they exit foster care, and professionals that help them build career skills and gain access to the workplace after they graduate.
United Friends of the Children’s Education Program provides support to foster youth throughout their educational journey. Individualized coaching assists youth with defining and achieving their educational goals. Program activities include academic counseling, workshops, college tours, socio-emotional skill-building, tutoring as well as emergency and enrichment funds. Counselors take a holistic approach, serving as mentors, coaches, and advocates to address a range of barriers impacting each youth’s path to academic success. Child Trends conducted an external program evaluation (2016-2019).