The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors has accepted a $250,000 grant to help the foster youth population. The county is one of a limited number of counties in the state that have been invited to participate in the California Connected by 25 Initiative, a program to help vulnerable youth connect by age 25 to the opportunities, experiences and support systems that will help them succeed throughout adulthood. The initiative is supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Walter S. Johnson Foundation and the Jim Casey Foundation.
Supervisors also approved the use of CalWorks Incentive Funds in support of foster youth initiatives, which will add an additional $318,000 to assist youth with housing costs and reduce homelessness. The county’s Department of Family and Children’s Services has identified a number of service gaps and outlined several areas of focus. During the next three years, the department will concentrate on helping young vulnerable people find employment and housing.
Nearly 130 foster youth emancipate each year in the county. Some become success stories, but all too often others become part of troubling statistics that bode poorly for their collective future and that of the communities where they live.
The county has also established an employment unit to facilitate job placement for emancipated youth and will be asking local employers to provide jobs. Eligible emancipated youth can apply for rent assistance funds beginning this summer.
