Tipping Point Community’s strategy for solutions includes targeted initiatives that respond to timely community needs. In 2019, Tipping Point Community launched the Better Futures for Foster Youth (BFFY) initiative, which aimed to improve policies and resources for transitional-aged youth (TAY) navigating the steep climb out of the foster care system.
Our goal was to change systems of care to make it easier for foster youth to secure stable housing, pursue and complete higher education, and get better access to the safety nets that can help them succeed. In an effort to measure our success and the impact of this initiative, Learning for Action completed a third-party evaluation of BFFY.
The evaluation highlights include:
Major policy wins: The efforts of BFFY partners contributed to policy wins that amounted to a total of $1.5 billion in new public funds dedicated to TAY foster youth at the federal, state, and local levels.
Over 5,000 TAY served: During the initiative, BFFY partners directly served over 5,000 TAY, helping them access support for housing, education, economic empowerment / stability, and mental health and well-being.
Improved data-driven decision-making: Through the launch of the Transition-Aged Youth Research & Evaluation Hub, BFFY advanced the development of evidenced-based recommendations for improving policy and practice in California. Additionally, BFFY funded efforts within individual organizations so they could better leverage real-time data to tailor and improve services.
Stronger coordination of services: BFFY funding supported partners to increase internal and external coordination, allowing them to more effectively serve TAY and expand the reach of their programs.
