Improving Support + Services for Foster Youth in the Bay Area.
Better Futures for Foster Youth
2019 - 2024
Launched in 2019, Better Futures for Foster Youth invested $15 million to improve support and services for the estimated 4,000 transitional-aged foster youth (aged 14 to 24) in the Bay Area. Better Futures aimed to change policy and systems to make it easier for foster youth to secure stable housing, pursue and complete in higher education, and get better access to the safety nets that will help them succeed. This project also established the first-ever statewide platform to collect and share outcomes data and research to inform policy and practice changes at all levels.
In an effort to measure our success and the impact of this initiative, Learning for Action completed a third-party evaluation of the 5-year initiative.
Tailored + Targeted Support During Life’s Critical Milestones
Support through a youth person’s life is critical on the journey to adulthood, especially at key milestones—graduating high school, applying for college, trying to land that first job, or living on their own for the first time. And yet, for foster youth, government support and resources decrease at these very moments. The critical services that do exist to support them are spread out across a number of different agencies and service providers, each with their own requirements and eligibility, making it challenging for youth to receive the full range of resources available.
Better Futures aimed to strengthen systems of care for transitional-aged foster youth through policy + legislative action, connecting nonprofits with government agencies, and investing in effective interventions. Through these supports, current and former foster youth were equipped with the right tools to navigate the steep climb out of the foster care system.
Project spotlight
Connecting the Dots in the Foster Care System
Tipping Point funded the development of a statewide database for government and nonprofit agencies to track housing, employment, and educational outcomes for foster youth. The first of its kind in the nation, this database enables in-depth analysis of how services are delivered to youth and can help service providers identify where youth need additional support and care.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
Advancing Cash Assistance for Foster Youth
With Tipping Point’s support, John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY) advanced research on cash assistance and advocated to pass legislation that made California the first state to establish a tax credit for foster youth. Now, current and former foster youth ages 18 through 25 are eligible for $1,000 tax credit when they file their state return.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
Delivering Services + Support to Foster Youth
Kayla is a single mom and a fierce advocate for foster youth through her work for VOICES, a program run by On the Move, a Better Futures grant recipient. Her work on the frontlines equipped foster youth with the resources they needed to acquire stable housing, higher education, and benefits they deserve. Hear Kayla’s story in the video.
Better Futures Grantees
Bay Area TAY Workforce Initiative
California Youth Connection
Foster America
John Burton Advocates for Youth
National Center for Youth Law
On the Move
Pivotal
Santa Clara County
University of Chicago
WestCoast Children’s Clinic
Youth Law Center
