LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to pass a motion spearheaded by Supervisor Hilda L. Solis to foster the educational futures of current and former foster youth by uplifting The Fostering Futures Program, which aims to increase the number of foster youth who attend college by providing them with a pathway to immediate financial assistance to greatly improve their economic and housing security.

“Tuition, housing prices, and the cost of living have skyrocketed. These financial burdens force low-income populations to either incur large amounts of debt or forego pursuing higher education. Those obstacles are even more pronounced for foster youth, who often lack access to adequate counseling; intergenerational knowledge ─ and family support to navigate the college application process,” said Supervisor Solis. “That is why I am so thankful that Governor Gavin Newsom signed The Fostering Futures Program into law as it will significantly benefit foster youth by providing the immediate financial assistance needed to encourage them to enroll in higher education. Foster youth must be made aware of this life-changing program and supported in completing its lengthy application process. This motion seeks to do just that, provide the outreach and support needed to ensure that as many foster youth as possible access the free education provided by this resource. With the financial barriers to education lifted, more foster youth can receive technical certifications and college degrees that break generational poverty, provide economic security, and change lives.”