Overview of Programs

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OVERVIEW OF

JOHN BURTON
ADVOCATES FOR
YOUTH PROGRAMS

Key Developments in Foster Care


in California
Positive Developments

4 out of 5 children reunify


safely with their parents or
are adopted
40% reduction in number of
foster care placements
placements
Extended foster care is
having a positive impact

Ongoing Challenges

Older youth continue to fare


poorly in adulthood
Low rates of college
completion
High rates of poverty
High rates of unplanned
pregnancy

How many children and youth are in foster care?


62,217 in California
427,000 in United States
John Burton Advocates for Youth

Key Developments in Homeless Youth


in California
Positive Developments

Increased understanding
that most youth become
homeless due to abuse and
neglect
Better data about the
number of unaccompanied
homeless youth

Ongoing Challenges

No state funding and very


little federal funding

$12.8 billion vs. $113 million

Issue is largely overlooked


by HUD and state and
federal foster care system

How many children and youth under age 25 are homeless and unaccompanied?
10, 412 in California
36,907 in United States
John Burton Advocates for Youth

How John Burton Advocates for Youth


Addresses These Challenges
What we do:

HOUSING
EDUCATION

HEALTH

How we do it:
15 state laws
1 federal law

3,000
professionals
annually

2,200 youth
annually

ADVOCACY
TRAINING
DIRECT
SUPPORT

80% state
15% county
5% federal

Social workers, probation


officers, dependency
attorneys, nonprofit service
providers, judges, campus
professionals, advocates
Current and former foster
youth and homeless youth,
aged 13 to 26

John Burton Advocates for Youth

HOUSING
ADVOCACY
TRAINING
DIRECT
SUPPORT

Expansion of foster care to age 21 nationally and in California


$35 million expansion of housing for former foster youth

Training to improve college outcomes for youth in transitional


housing.
Maintenance of statewide database to improve quality of
transitional housing

College retention grants to youth living in transitional housing

John Burton Advocates for Youth

EDUCATION
ADVOCACY

TRAINING
DIRECT
SUPPORT

$15 million annual investment to support foster youth on 26


community college campuses
$3 million annual expansion for financial aid for foster youth
Training to establish foster youth support programs on 50
campuses, supporting 5,140 foster youth
Development of resources to support foster youth college
success, including college planning website, a foster youth
educational planning guide, a training curriculum for college
faculty.
Text books to 1,500 foster youth annually attending college
Financial assistance to foster youth transferring from community
to four-year college
John Burton Advocates for Youth

HEALTH
ADVOCACY

Improved access to SSI for youth aging out of foster care


Increased the infant supplement from $411 to $900 per month

TRAINING

Trained county child welfare agencies about evidence-based


pregnancy prevention strategies
Trained county child welfare agencies on specialized conferences
for young parents in foster care

DIRECT
SUPPORT

Pregnancy prevention training for foster youth living in group


homes in Los Angeles

John Burton Advocates for Youth

Who Works at
J0hn Burton Advocates for Youth?
HOUSING &
HEALTH

EDUCATION

Debbie
Raucher

Martha
Joseph

Deborah
Pruitt

Jessica
Petrass

Simone
Tureck

Cathia
Lan

John Burton Advocates for Youth

Who Are Our Main Funders?


HOUSING

EDUCATION

HEALTH

Walter S. Johnson Foundation


Pinpoint Foundation

Stuart Foundation
Walter S. Johnson Foundation
The California Wellness Foundation
Pritzker Foundation
Conrad L. Hilton Foundation
David B. Gold Foundation

Conrad L. Hilton Foundation

John Burton Advocates for Youth

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