Los Angeles  County Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, the City of Santa Clarita Community Services and Arts, and Zonta donated nearly $8,000 to the Fostering Youth Independence, (FYI) ‘Ready, Set, Drive!’ program.

The ‘Ready, Set, Drive!’ program was introduced to equip foster youth to successfully obtain their drivers license by providing students with study sessions, payments for DMV license fees and volunteers to accompany them to the DMV for both written and driving tests.

Grants received for the program include $5,000 from Barger, $1,477 from the City of Santa Clarita Community Services and Arts Grant and $1,500 from Zonta.

The barriers for foster youth to obtain their drivers license often includes securing parental or guardian permission needed to enroll in driver’s education or obtain a permit, as well as an inability to pay for the various fees associated with becoming a driver.

“The ability to drive is critical for independent adulthood,” said Carolyn Olsen,

FYI’s Executive Director and Co-Founder. “Young people with access to a car do better in school, get better jobs, and have more housing options. It’s challenging, if not impossible, for most foster youth to learn to drive and earn a driver’s license while in foster care.”

The program also provides foster youth with workshops on the basics of auto insurance and assistance with obtaining policies when they acquire a car, including paying the deposit on a six-month policy.

“We’re so appreciative of the support we’ve recently received from L.A. County

Supervisor Kathryn Barger, the City of Santa Clarita and Zonta,” Olsen said. “As a result, we’re experiencing some exciting successes, with 15 youth having attended a test prep study session, six youth having received an instructional permit, six youth having received behind-the-wheel training and four youth earning their driver’s licenses.”

To learn more about FYI or the “Ready, Set, Drive!” program, visit their website.

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