Expansion to help set former Foster Youth on a path toward self reliance

(Photo Courtesy: David & Margaret Youth and Family Services)
More foundations for the Cedar Springs Apartment Homes being poured as framing continues.

By Julie Griffith

La Verne – Yvonne first ran away from the foster care home of her aunt at age 14, which she entered after her mother’s death in a car accident. Although she lived with relatives, there was little concern for her.  Her aunt was too busy raising her own four children, and resented another child in the home. Running away with only $23 in hand, Yvonne was soon spotted by police, who turned her over to the child welfare system.

Two years and three run-away episodes later, Yvonne entered a group foster care home for girls. One week after her 18th birthday, however, Yvonne’s caseworker came to the home and told her that she was too old to be there anymore. She was handed cab fare and the address to a women’s shelter.

“There are thousands of young people like Yvonne in our communities: foster children who reach age 18, become adults and begin ‘aging out’ of the foster care system, ready or not – and most of them are not,” says Charles Rich, Executive Director of David & Margaret Youth and Family Services in La Verne. “There are opportunities for some to stay in the system and live in an apartment under the supervision of a social worker until they turn 21, but the demand for these living arrangements vastly outstrips the supply.”

Last year alone, more than 2,300 Los Angeles County foster youth “aged out” of the foster care system, some of which went to live with relatives or friends.  A number of them will wear out their welcome and end up back in the streets or in some type of shelter, and look for more secure housing.  Ideally, all those who don’t have a secure living situation to move to when they do have to exit the system, would be placed into some kind of an independent living situation, but there are simply too few of those living units available.

“Most parents understand how challenging it is in today’s world for an 18- to 21-year-old to get an education, secure and hold a job, make a home and begin building a family, even with strong family support,” says Arun Tolia, the agency’s incoming Board of Directors President. “Few youth at this age are ready to face the economic and social trials awaiting them, and studies indicate that on average, most young Americans do not achieve true financial independence until age 26.”

For more than 30 years, David & Margaret has provided some level of services for youth who are transitioning out of foster care but have little or no family support. The agency launched its Transitional Living and Care Program nine years ago as a non-residential program helping youth take on all the challenges of living in today’s society. And this past January, David & Margaret took its most ambitious step yet toward helping transitional age youth set out on the path to self sufficiency by breaking ground on a project more than seven years in the making.

To help meet these challenges, the 105-year old agency is creating three new facilities on its 18-acre property. One is an apartment complex that will provide 25 permanent supportive homes for these youth: three two-story buildings in a garden-like setting, featuring a community center for residents, which will be open to placements for youth from Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and other surrounding counties.

Importantly, the agency’s expansion project includes a Youth Work Force Training Center to provide training opportunities for these youth, who can move toward self-reliance by working and gaining skills in a real on-site store and café. A training lab will provide a place to focus on independent living skills and job readiness.

There also will be a Transitional Youth Resource Center in renovated space in an adjacent existing building providing these youth, particularly those living in off-campus apartments, with a safe place to hang out with their peers. Staff will have offices there, allowing accessibility to youth for support, coaching and training.

It takes a village to complete such an ambitious undertaking, and David & Margaret is seeking to partner with a wide range of local businesses to provide mentoring, internships, possible job placements, and foundations, businesses and individuals who can help fund the remaining $3.7 million of the project. The capital campaign includes an endowment to provide for other needs, such as renovating the agency’s residential cottages, upgrading technology, and remodeling offices to maximize resources.

For more information on all of the benefits of David & Margaret Youth and Family Services, and the Cedar Springs expansion project, contact the David & Margaret Development Department at (909) 596-5921, ext. 3226, or visit http://www.DavidandMargaret.org.