Older Young People in Foster Care Were an Afterthought. A Politician and a Child Welfare Expert Teamed Up to Reform the Safety Net

According to national data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, about 20,000 youth leave foster care each year, many left to navigate the transition into adulthood on their own. They face a higher risk of hardships like joblessness, homelessness, lower educational attainment, and mental health challenges compared with their peers.

Thanks to the work of the scrappy 20-year-old advocacy group, the nonprofit John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY), Californians who age out of foster care or experience homelessness as young adults have access to a variety of financial, housing, and educational supports, a safety net that experts say surpasses many other states around the country.

JBAY has been instrumental in working with legislators to push for major policy changes like extending foster care from age 18 to 21, passing the nation’s first-ever foster youth tax credit, and helping a record number of youth succeed in college.

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Source: The Chronicle of Philanthropy