Running Head: F. R. E. E.

F. R. E. E.

Foster Resources, Education, and Empowerment

Alexandra Beddow-Weeks, Ellie Jadin, Mallory Kujanek, Taylor Savage

University of California, Santa Cruz

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Executive Summary

Fortunately, the number of children in foster care within the United States has decreased

since 2000; however, with an increasing number of studies done on the foster care system and

the experiences of the children and young adults that make it up, the very traumatic nature of

their plight is coming to the surface. As of 2007, there were 496,000 children in the foster care

system and it has been noted that approximately 29,000 of those children will grow up only to

age out of the system with little to no knowledge of how to survive on their own as independent

individuals (Chafee, 2012). This puts these young adults at a higher risk for homelessness and

adolescent pregnancy, among many other things. For this reason, we have created F.R.E.E.:

Foster Resources, Education, and Empowerment. F.R.E.E. will be based in San Francisco, where

there is a high number of homeless former-foster youth. We will primarily focus on the issues of

homelessness and adolescent pregnancy, but our warehouse will be home to many workshops

and resources for youth who are either about to age out of the system or have done so recently.

Our aim is to provide these young adults with the proper resources help educate them on how to

apply for a job, find somewhere to live, receive adequate medical care, and go to school. These

children have lived their lives with no sense of consistency, no real sense of control; F.R.E.E.

wants to give these youth a voice and help them become competent, confident, and strong

individuals.
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Literature Review

As previously mentioned, the numbers of youth who age-out of foster care is just shy of

30,000 per year. This usually happens when they turn eighteen years old, though in some states it

can be twenty one, and they are essentially expected to become independent young adults

virtually overnight (Dworsky, Dillman, Dion, Coffee-Borde, & Rosenau, 2012, pg. 1). Years

before, these children were placed in foster care due to parental neglect, abuse, their parents

incapacitation, they exhibited some form of behavioral issues, or were juvenile delinquents

(Dworsky et al., 2012, pg. 3). While some consider the removal of children from such situations

to be beneficial and ultimately the best choice for them, research has indicated that doing so puts

these children at higher risk for a number of unfavorable outcomes. Dworsky et al. report that,

among other possible consequences youth face after having been in foster care such as

homelessness, they are more likely to experience early parenthood, criminal justice system

involvement, economic hardships, and public assistance receipt (2012, pg. 3). For these reasons,

special attention needs to be given to this vulnerable population of young adults to ensure their

physical and psychological well-being and progress in life.

Girls in foster care are at a particularly high risk for teen pregnancies; research has shown

that those who have been in foster care and/or have experienced substantial placement

instability have higher rates of birth, resulting in a number of structural, social, and emotional

issues, including low rates of employment and school enrollment, poverty, less social support,

and high rates of child welfare involvement among their children (King & Van Wert, 2017, pg.

2). Physical and sexual abuse lead to an even higher risk (King & Van Wert, 2017, pg. 2). One

study, done by King and Van Wert (2017) aimed to identify significant predictors of teen
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pregnancy within the population of foster girls. Results from this study declare that detectable

risk factors such as placement in care around the time of conception, having been in care for less

than a year, high placement instability (nine or more placements), and a history of behavior

issues and incidents of running away (King & Van Wert, 2017, pg. 3). King and Van Wert

(2017) identified such predictors that allow us to address this vulnerable population of female

foster youth and the findings can help produce the kind of reproductive health services and

support systems unique for the needs of these girls. Who better to ask about possible solutions

than the people that work with foster girls and hear their perspective and insight.

A study done by researchers Boustani, Frazier, Hartley, Meinzer, and Hedemann (2015),

looked into exactly that: the unique youth care workers perceptions of the...unique experiences

and needs related to sexual health programming and pregnancy prevention (pg. 80). The

interviews conducted with the workers focused on four categories: risks for teen pregnancy and

parenting, perceived benefits of teen pregnancy and parenting, perceived costs and consequences

of teen pregnancy, and potential solutions (Boustani et al., 2015, pg. 84-86). In terms of the first

category, all in all what was found was that the teens at highest risk for teen pregnancies were

those that had a lack of family functioning, lack of knowledge, lack of adult presence,

[outstanding] life stressors, unresolved emotional issues or trauma, peer or cultural pressures,

and a physical drive to have sex (Boustani et al., 2015, pg. 84). The second category uncovered

that girls often believe that having a child will allow them to create an emotional connection

with their baby, secure romantic relationships and thereby create stability and consistency in

their lives; essentially, these girls thought that by birthing a child they would receive

government aid, establish their independence, and allow them a chance to prove themselves
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better than their parents (Boustani et al., 2015, pg. 86). Generally, these girls were relatively

unaware of the education, social, financial, and overall consequences and hardships that

pregnancy involves. In response to the lack of interventions provided for this population of foster

youth, the workers suggest four prospective solutions: system-wide prevention efforts...and

providing access to prevention programs, testing, and contraception; positive adult influence;

educating teens about the realities of having a baby; and general psychoeducation and harm

reduction efforts versus abstinence education (Boustani et al., 2015, pg. 87). The issue of teen

pregnancy in foster girls has garnered much attention from researchers and accrued substantial

evidence of possible methods of intervention and support. Now, the focus must be shifted toward

the actual implementation of the potential solutions.

Similar to their risk of early parenthood, foster youth are at huge risk of becoming

homeless after aging out. According to one article, within 18 months of aging out, 40-50% of

foster youth become homeless and around 65% of youth...need immediate housing upon

discharge (ONeale, 2015). ONeale (2015) also states that a history of foster placement

significantly increases the risk of becoming homeless at an earlier age and remaining homeless

for a longer period of time, making this population especially vulnerable and in need of direct

assistance.

A study of 1,213 former foster youth done by Shah, Liu, Mancuso, Marshall, Felver,

Lucenko, and Huber (2015), has pointed out a multitude of predictive factors that could result in

homelessness for youth who have recently exited the foster care system. The youth at most risk

of becoming homeless have usually experienced a disrupted adoption, are more likely to

[also] be parents, have had prior housing issues, have changed schools a lot, had multiple
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interactions with the criminal justice system, are less likely to have had a relative caregiver,

and most likely did not have high GPAs (Shah et al., 2015, pg. 6-9). One literature review

focusing specifically on the housing issues this population faces, has expressed that

homelessness is but one manifestation of housing instability among youth who age out of the

foster care system; they also couch surf more frequently and have to squeeze multiple people

into a small house due to high costs of living (Dworsky et al., 2012, pg. 4). The young adults

who are ultimately forced out of the system are not given enough guidance or taught adequate

life skills for how to live independently. They often are unable to pay rent consistently (Dworsky

et al., 2012, pg. 7) if they are even able to find a place to live. If the child has at least one adult

family member they feel close to it serves as a protective factor against homelessness (Dworsky

et al., 2012, pg. 8), but many unfortunately do not have this luxury which we take for granted all

too much.

Stable housing is absolutely essential to a childs development. Unstable housing can

lead to what Dworsky et al. (2012) refer to as a negative feedback loop in which unstable

housing can compromise physical health and mental health, poor physical and mental health can

limit labor market participation, and limited employment can lead to housing instability (pg. 8).

There are numerous barriers outside of foster youths own skillset which they must overcome in

order to maintain a stable housing situation. The housing market itself is a major barrier; many

people are familiar with the struggle to find housing amid pressures like gentrification, and the

process is all the more challenging for these youth who have never held a job, built any credit, or

received any guidance for where to start given the complexities of such a market. There are also

a number of common characteristics of post-foster applicants which may concern and dissuade
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landlords; these include, inadequate income and assets, no family safety net, a lack of

relationships with supportive adults, early parenthood, or a juvenile or criminal record

(Dworsky et al., 2012, pg. 9). Then there are the factors involved with the child welfare system

itself which include a lack of preparation for independent living, hardly any assistance

transitioning to independent living, and poor cross-systems coordination (Dworsky et al.,

2012, pg. 9). Intervention is crucial, because not only does it ensure that these young adults have

shelter and are safe, in some respects, but it also functions as a platform that promotes positive

outcomes across a range of domains (Dworsky et al., 2012, pg. 8). The importance of

intervention cannot be stressed enough, especially since having a stable home is important

during certain developmental stages such as the transition to adulthood because of its

relationship to self-sufficiency (Dworsky et al., 2012, pg. 8).

If it has not been adequately emphasized and outlined already, youth who age out of the

foster system are at risk for an abundance of negative consequences. These young adults need

guidance and support through their journey to independence, not to be shoved out on the street

on their eighteenth birthday with no knowledge of how to live on their own. The Casey Family

Programs (2004) have noted a handful of elements that can contribute to success as adults for

this especially vulnerable group of people. Those who receive proper life skills preparation,

acquire their high school diploma or GED before exiting foster care, qualify for college or job

training scholarships, participate in clubs in foster care, do not experience homelessness once out

of the system, have not had many academic problems, and only use minimal amounts of drugs or

alcohol are far more likely to lead successful positive lives after they age out (Casey Family

Programs, 2004). In conclusion, there is a responsibility on those in the community and those
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who work or volunteer in any part of the foster care or child welfare system to provide adequate

training, support, and impart crucial knowledge about sexual health and housing.

Mission Statement

F. R. E. E. aims to address the prominent issues of homelessness and pregnancy in aging-out

foster youth by empowering and imparting onto them education, life skills, and resources.

Goal and Objectives

To mitigate the aging out process by providing young adults with resources for successful

assimilation into a healthy, independent adulthood.

Reduce homelessness in foster youth by teaching the skills necessary to acquire

(and maintain) housing in a competitive market

Combat joblessness in foster youth by teaching professional skills including how

to build a resume and tips to nail an interview

Improve physical and psychological health for foster youth by teaching

self-advocating skills as well as how to navigate medical care and insurance

Support young mothers who've aged out with life skills and guidance for raising

children

Provide an open and supportive environment with exclusive perks for a neglected

population

F.R.E.E.: Foster Resources, Education, and Empowerment

Aging out is the process by which foster youth are discharged from the foster care system

at the age of 18. This transition can be very difficult for many youth because of the lack of

resources available for them and unfair requirements to access existing resources. Nationally, it
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has been estimated that more than 20,000 children age out of the foster system per year

(ONeale, 2015). These youth are at risk for many problems, including adolescent pregnancy and

homelessness. Girls in foster care are six times more likely to become pregnant than non- foster

girls; this is likely because of lack of education and economic resources (Boustani et al., 2015).

These instances of adolescent pregnancy are commonly a conscious decision made by the girls to

feel adult, solidify a romantic relationship, and form emotional connections with a baby.

Homelessness among these youth is also very prominent. Of the over 20,000 youth aging out per

year, 65% have no stable place to live after leaving foster care (ONeale, 2015). Young parents

have an even higher risk of becoming homeless. After aging out, the youth have inadequate

preparation or skills to help them successfully live on their own.

Methods

A Permanent Center

F.R.E.E. plans to establish a permanent center for aging out resources featuring

instructional events and workshops. The center will be all inclusive, catering to all young adults

who are about to or have recently aged out of foster care. Whether they are in or out of school,

jobless or employed, housed or homeless, we are confident all foster youth have something to

gain from F.R.E.E. We will incentivize attendance and arm these individuals with the skills and

knowledge necessary to become well-adjusted, self-reliant adults. The space will be available for

creative performance by foster youth themselves as well as featuring local artists in concert. Free

food as well as free clothes by the pound, books, and gadgets will be available at the center. A

weekly schedule will feature themed days. Mondays will focus on college essays and

applications; Tuesdays will instruct on money management and bank accounts; Wednesdays will
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advise on job interviews and creating a resume; Thursdays will manage personal health care and

insurance with a special emphasis on gynecology and pediatrics in order to target young mothers

or would-be mothers; Fridays will assist foster youth in searching and applying for housing and

communicating with landlords, with open-ended evenings for trivia and prize-winning

opportunities. We hope to extend weekend hours and provide infant/toddler focused resources on

Saturdays for young, disenfranchised mothers. Senior staff members at F.R.E.E. will not only

teach curriculum in workshops but also manage and sort donations and communicate with

donating organizations. Junior staff members will assist in supervising events, contributing to

presentations, and organizing behind-the-scenes.

Daily Empowerment

Our goal is to provide these events on an ongoing basis with services offered daily. We

will provide various resources, some that will be offered once a week during specialized, themed

days, and some that will be offered consistently each day. For example, one day of the week may

have a unique theme of college preparation, which will include assistance with college essays

and applications, instruction on applying for financial aid, tips on what to expect, etc. There will

also be resources provided on a daily basis, such as mentors to speak with and to seek assistance

from. Additionally, we will also offer free donated items on a daily basis, including food,

clothing, home goods, and furniture.

Location

Our ideal setting would be to gain access to a large warehouse space somewhere central

in San Francisco. Wed like to be located in an urban setting so as to reach a higher population of

foster youth. In 2012, there were over 1,000 youth in foster care, and each year many of these
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young adults leave the system with nowhere to go and no one to assist them in this difficult

transition (Gutierrez, 2013). San Francisco is a city with a high population of vulnerable young

people who could benefit deeply from cost-free assistance and resources from groups and

organizations such as ours. In terms of the setting within San Francisco, wed like to offer these

services in a warehouse large enough to provide space for multiple booths, offices, workshops,

donation stations, and potentially large-scale events like concerts.

Cultivating Mentorships

This event will be provided for youth in San Francisco who have aged out of the foster

care system. This is a particularly vulnerable group, especially in urban settings, and many have

little access to the resources they need to survive and build a future. In terms of who will be

working at the center, we aim to hire mainly alumni of the foster care system. In this way, we

can ensure the youth who come to us will have mentors who can actually relate to their

experiences. Additionally, we can provide jobs for youth who have come into our organization,

gone through training, and shown an interest in providing mentorship to others aging out of the

system. We also hope to have professionals from various areas come in to aid in our day-specific

events, such as academic advisors to help on the days we talk about college, doctors and nurses

to talk about mental and physical health, bankers to talk about finances, opening bank accounts,

and managing money, etc. We will also be partnering with various grocery stores and retail

centers, from whom we hope to receive donations of clothing or food they may normally throw

away due to damage or approaching expiration dates. In return, we can provide job training and

potential employees for these businesses, which would simultaneously benefit both the stores

and the youth who come to us.

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How F.R.E.E. Works

F.R.E.E. will require initial support from donors in order to become established. As the

center becomes stabilized, we plan to reduce costs through grant writing by employees as well as

fundraising and drives for materials and supplies. We will partner with retailers and take

donations of their unsold products to provide for aging out foster youth free of charge.

Employees at the center will develop a system where foster youth win an allowance of free items

per their attendance and demonstrated learning from F.R.E.E. events. For example, in exchange

for completing an appropriate work resume, an attendee may win 5 lbs worth of free clothes. The

center will verify attendees foster or post-foster status with a quick phone call to each person's

case worker or past foster parent. Employees will be trained to accept other forms of proof if the

individual cannot present a phone number. We plan to recruit both employees for the center and

attendees through CASA and NAMI connections. Foster alumni working at F.R.E.E. will serve

as an important resource for outreach and networking by encouraging their friends and foster

siblings to attend events. F.R.E.E. will also maintain a social media presence in order to spread

the word to aging out youth. However, since the target population is likely deprived of

smart-phone technology, F.R.E.E. will also work to advertise in accessible, street-level ways

such as through eye-catching flyers and posters.

Budget Plan

We plan to raise enough money to have an unlimited budget. Former successful foster

youth would love to donate money to us because they believe in what F. R. E. E. does for the

aged-out community. We also plan to partner with businesses to receive constant donations on a

weekly basis to supply the young adults with useful products. In order to maintain our unlimited
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budget, we will need one million dollars a year. Our warehouse will cost $70,000 per year to

lease in the heart of San Francisco. We will spend $40,000 on furnishing our beautiful

warehouse to make it feel welcoming and fun for the teenagers to enjoy, this includes tables,

chairs, carpets, couches, a ping pong table, television, fridge, office supplies, clothing racks,

mirrors, and much more. Printers, computers, and tablets will also be available for use and that

will cost $15,000. We will use $2,000 a month for marketing and advertising supplies (e.g.

posters, flyers, keychains, promotional handouts) to promote our services. Our partnerships with

local retailers and food companies will be donation-based, hopefully utilizing food and products

that would otherwise be wasted or systematically thrown away. This strategy represents

F.R.E.E.s commitment to sustainability. We will set aside $3,000 a month to accommodate

suggestions and innovations from attending foster youth as their values and preferences are

likely to evolve with the times and trends. We will spend $5,000 a month for monthly events for

concerts and speakers. As for our employees, we hope to have at least 15 people on our team,

each making $50,000 a year, though we will have opportunities for young volunteers and interns.

Since we get so much support through donations, we will have $5,000 left over each year to

cover expenses that arise.

Expected Timeline of Activities

The first steps needed to get F.R.E.E. up and running include renting out the warehouse

space in San Francisco, reaching out to retailers to form agreements, and beginning to scope out

and hire foster alumni. By the end of June, 2017, wed begin to furnish and organize the space,

formulate a schedule for drop-offs by retailers, begin to train employees, and begin to link up

with local foster resources such as NAMI and CASA. In the last few weeks of July and
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beginning weeks of August 2017, we expect to be mostly established and hard at work

developing outreach to aged/aging out foster youth. By the end of August we expect to begin

conducting regular workshops on the weekly schedule shown below.

Weekly Schedule of Events at F.R.E.E. Center

Mondays Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays Fridays Saturdays

Higher Money Becoming Personal Housing; Parenthood;

education management employed; health care how to search local
preparation and how to search and and how to resources for
and maintaining a and how to managing apply. children and
applications. bank account. apply. insurance. Evening playgroup.
Event(s)

DELIVERABLES

We will to provide education to former foster youth on numerous topics regarding

adulthood, including how to apply for a job, create a resume, open a bank account, etc.

We will also provide education and mentorship surrounding some of the more common

issues faced by former foster youth, such as young parenthood, and how to manage these

circumstances.

We will provide resources available to the youth, such as mentors to help them with

difficulties they are facing, along with free items that can help with their living situations,

such as clothing and home goods.

We will provide a safe space for former foster youth to find community, assistance, and

empowerment.

We will provide employment for former foster youth who will work with, counsel, and

lead workshops for other foster youth in our center.

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We will provide a network of opportunities to former foster youth, helping them make

business and life connections that can help them find jobs and homes.

We will provide computers and wifi to help foster youth on the spot search for homes,

learn how to use such devices, or have a free space to work or do homework.

We will host fun events such as concerts to provide these youth with free and fun

activities alongside other former foster youth, simultaneously helping them find

community.

We will reduce homelessness and combat joblessness among former foster youth by

providing them with the education and tools necessary to find and maintain housing.

We will provide young mothers who have aged out of the system with support they often

have a hard time finding elsewhere.

We will improve the physical and psychological well-being of foster youth through

education and mentoring.

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References

Boustani, M., Frazier, S., Hartley, C., Meinzer, M., Hedemann, E. (2015). Perceived benefits and

proposed solutions for teen pregnancy: qualitative interviews with youth care

workers. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 85(1):80-92.

Casey Family Programs. (2004). Assessing the effects of foster care: Early results from the casey

national alumni study. The Foster Care Alumni Studies. Retrieved from

https://www.casey.org/media/AlumniStudy_US_Report_Full.pdf

Chafee, J. (2012). John H. Chafee foster care independence program. Retrieved from

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/chafee-foster-care-program

Dworsky, A., Dillman, K., Dion, R. M., Coffee-Borden, B., & Rosenau, M. (2012). Housing for

Youth Aging Out of Foster Care: A Review of the Literature and Program Typology.

SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.2112278

Gutierrez, M. (2013, December 29). Foster care population drops sharply in California.

Retrieved May 16, 2017, from

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Foster-care-population-drops-sharply-in-California-5

100671.php

King, B., & Van Wert, M. (2017). Predictors of early childbirth among females in foster care.

Journal of Adolescent Health.

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O'Neale, S. (2015, September 16). Foster Care and Homelessness. Retrieved May 04, 2017, from

http://www.fosterfocusmag.com/articles/foster-care-and-homelessness

Shah, M., Liu, Q., Mancuso, D., Marshall, D., Felver, B. Lucenko, B., & Huber, A., (2015).

Youth at risk of homelessness. Retrieved from

https://www.dshs.wa.gov/sites/default/files/SESA/rda/documents/research-7-106.pdf