During National Foster Care Month in May, Fostering Youth Independence (FYI) is seeking volunteers to become allies for transition-age foster youth.

Hundreds of Los Angeles County Foster system youth are being aged out without being adopted or reunited with their birth families, and FYI wants to help.

“One of the things we consider vital is that we embed these youth in a community of care within Santa Clarita, and we hope that our community will continue to embrace these local foster youth and the work FYI is doing,” Carolyn Olsen, FYI’s executive director and co-founder said. “There are so many ways to get involved and make a difference in the lives of these youth – for example by becoming an Ally, making a donation, becoming a corporate sponsor, contributing to our emergency financial assistance fund, renting a room in your home to a youth, donating gift cards for gas and groceries, offering tutoring or providing school supplies. We’re grateful for all the ways we receive support to help better these youths’ lives.”

FYI is the largest Santa Clarita-based nonprofit that supports local foster youth.

FYI currently serves 76 transition-age (16-25 years) foster youth in the Santa Clarita Valley and supported 147 local youth since its inception in 2017.

FYI supports local foster youth in a variety of way such as assigning an adult volunteer to each youth to help guide them through education, employment, housing, finances, and more, according to officials.

FYI also provides emergency financial assistance when an unexpected expense such as a car repair threatens to derail a youth’s educational plans.

They also offer the Study Place for learning support and tutoring to help the foster youth.

Another program they offer is “Ready, Set, Drive” a program that assist youth in obtaining their driver license and host events throughout the year where the youth can connect with other people their age.

Last year, 19 graduates had stable and affordable housing for foster college students facing homelessness.

FYI supported 68 youth with emergency assistance funds and transportation and hosted its annual Back-to-School Bash and Career fair.

In advance of National Foster Care Month, FYI asked its youth for their thoughts about being in the foster system, and a sampling of their comments are:

• “It’s hard to be separated from the rest of your siblings, and not being able to see them everyday is difficult.”
• “There’s a feeling of being alone in a world of people because no one understands what it’s like to be in your shoes.”
• “We are just as equal as other youths who weren’t in the foster system. It’s not our fault that we were put in the foster care system, so we shouldn’t be looked at as any less or different.”
• “Some people tend to think that foster kids are bad, when in actuality it was just your family that was having some issues.”
• “Being in the foster system feels as if you have to question yourself, asking am I just a bother, because in my head I thought the two people who are supposed to care for me just gave me up so easily.”
• “One of the unspoken challenges of being a foster child is whether to reveal your status to your friends; it can be an awkward conversation to have.”
• “Imagine spending your life being told you will be nobody and amount to no one by people who are supposed to be caring for you and keeping you safe – ‘foster parents,”

“Their heartbreaking comments provide a window into the trauma and challenges these youth have faced growing up,” Olsen said. “And without a supportive, caring family influence that most of us have been blessed to have, these youth face becoming part of some harsh statistics. For instance, only 55 percent will have a high school diploma, 36 percent will experience homelessness within the first 18 months and 25 percent will be incarcerated within two years. They are also more likely to experience hardships such as joblessness, early parenthood and substance abuse.”

Residents in Santa Clarita have the opportunity to help youth’s lives by becoming a volunteer Ally and help them obtain a college degree or trade certificate and provide caring support the youth may not have before.

FYI is currently seeking more volunteer allies, both men and women to support the youth in their journey to complete a post-high school education and become successful adults.

The next Ally training is set to be held Thursday, May 11 at  6 p.m. in the Fellowship Center at Christ Luthern Church in Valencia.

“Being an FYI Ally doesn’t require a lot of time, just a little consistent care and support – a

routine text, a call to check in, a ride to a job interview, a meetup for coffee,” said Jason Down. “The goal is to be a positive presence in a young person’s life. Men are especially good at showing up, being there when someone needs us and doing whatever needs done. We need more of these men to step up in order to make the kind of change we want to see in the world, one person at a time. This is precisely the unique opportunity that being an FYI Ally offers.”

For more information about Fostering Youth Independence and ways to become involved, support and donate can be found online or call (661) 360 – 1500.

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