Transition-Aged Youth

No issue dominates big city politics right now like homelessness. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio have come in for the harshest criticism of their tenures over proliferating tent villages and visible human suffering on their sidewalks.

After 18 years on the bench, Judge Margaret Henry will step down as a judge at Los Angeles County’s Edmund D. Edelman Children’s Court. On Tuesday, she was honored by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for her work, including establishing the 18 and Up Courtroom, a pioneering court designed to address the needs of young people in extended foster care, ages 18 to 21.

First Place for Youth, an Oakland-based nonprofit that helps older foster teens and young adults transition into adulthood, has been awarded a $1 million grant from United Airlines to expand their services in the Los Angeles area.

At the uncommon intersection of philanthropy, real estate and community, a pair of nonprofits joined forces over the weekend to put on a unique fundraiser benefiting transition-aged foster youth and homeless families in San Diego County.

Many people who work with the child welfare system know that only three percent of foster youth graduate from college. This means that, despite the number of youth who enroll, most do not finish.

When high school student Kia Reid’s brother was arrested, she withdrew emotionally, missing more than a week of school. But in her absence, Reid didn’t fall through the cracks. Her teachers texted and called to check on her.

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors endorsed a plan calling for the county’s chief executive office and the Office of Child Protection to create a comprehensive county-wide strategy to address the needs of transition-age foster youth.

For youth exiting the foster care system, finding a way to access supports and services can be hard. There are many organizations and agencies that offer service to transition-age youth, but knowing where to look for resources like crisis mental health services, computer access, mentoring opportunities and food banks can be a struggle.

In an effort provide a one-stop-shop to understand what older youth in foster care face, a Washington D.C.-based consultancy firm teamed up with a charitable foundation to create a new web portal.