The Imprint values the important contributions of young people in the discussion of child welfare, juvenile justice and other services that impact children and families.
Through Chronicle Youth Voices, we will occasionally post news, opinion and artistic contributions from young people with experiences and perspective on the very programs and services we all hope to improve.
If you are a youth or young adult that wants to submit material for Youth Voices, or if you know a young person that wants to do so, e-mail [email protected]
Installment Three: How Foster Care Placements Affect Education
Juliet Velarde, Bonita Tindle, and Alea Franklin discuss the ways in which the decision on where to place a youth in the foster care network can impact their educational prospects.
Velarde: Bad foster homes often mean a lack of academic support at home.
Tindle: Describing her classmate, Velarde, Tindle covers the academic instability that comes with frequent placement changes.
Franklin: Can we really assume group homes have academic support in place?
Installment Two: Pointed in the Job Direction
Tony Contreras and Juliet Velarde, both students at the City College of San Francisco, describe a program aimed at helping foster youth and those who have aged out find employment.
Click here to read Contreras.
Click here to read Velarde.
Installment One: Housing Hard to Come by for Foster Youth College Students
For former and current foster youth at the City College of San Francisco, the number one point of stress is finding and affording a stable place to live.
Three members of the university’s Guardian Scholars Program, which supports foster youths during their college experience, describe the problem and how Guardian Scholars has helped them address it.
Click here to read Alea Franklin’s perspective.
Click here to read Tony Contreras’ perspective.
Click here to read Bonita Tindle’s perspective.