Caring for vulnerable children

The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation works to help youth involved with the foster care system in the United States, and children affected by HIV/AIDS in the developing world, thrive in the communities where they live.

Youth involved with the foster care system

According to the federal Child Welfare Information Gateway, the U.S. foster care system includes more than 500,000 young people. These youth are among the most vulnerable in our society.

The odds are stacked against youth transitioning out of foster care:

• 25 percent are incarcerated within two years
• 65 percent leave foster care without a place to live, and 27 percent of the homeless population spent time in foster care
• 58 percent earn a high school degree by age 19, compared to 87 percent of a national comparison group of non-foster care youth
• Female youth in foster care have a 50 percent chance of becoming pregnant by age 19

The Hilton Foundation's focus on youth in foster care is relatively new. As we continue our strategic planning process, these grantee programs and projects have informed our perspective:

• Dennis P. Culhane of the University of Pennsylania School of Social Policy and Practice led a two-year research study on the outcomes of young adults who have aged out of foster care and/or the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles County. The study informs policies and programs that improve transitions for foster youth exiting the system.
• First Place for Youth operates a 24-month housing support program, My First Place, for 18 to 24-year-old former foster youth in Los Angeles.
• San Diego State University's Guardian Scholars Program provides scholarships, programming, and assistance to youth who have been in the foster care system.

Resources

Fact Sheet - Young Adult Outcomes of Youth Exiting Dependent or Delinquent Care in Los Angeles County (pdf), Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

Young Adult Outcomes of Youth Exiting Dependent or Delinquent Care in Los Angeles County (pdf), Dennis P. Culhane, Thomas Byrne, Stephen Metraux, Manuel Moreno, Halil Toros, and Max Stevens. 2011.

Children affected by HIV/AIDS

Worldwide, more than 15 million children under age 18 have lost one or both parents due to AIDS and millions more are indirectly affected because their families and communities are strained by other consequences of the epidemic.

Children affected by HIV/AIDS are less likely to have their basic needs met—they are less likely to be in school and are more likely than others to be sick or malnourished, suffer psychological trauma, endure abuse, and become HIV positive.

Although most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have national strategies in place to support children affected by HIV/AIDS, few programs are designed specifically to meet the special needs of children under five—an age group where children experience their most critical early development.

Early childhood development in communities affected by HIV/AIDS

• A $1 million grant was awarded to CARE in 2006 to enhance early childhood development in six Zambian communities severely impacted by AIDS and poverty. Building on this work, the Foundation has embarked on a new project to support the creation of standardized guidelines for early childhood development tailored for children affected by HIV/AIDS.
• In 2009, grants were awarded to CARE and Save the Children totaling $1.18 million to lead the development of an essential package of interventions for this population. This work will define central components of quality of care for orphans and vulnerable children and their families, while at the same time informing the global movement around standards development. The collaborative project also involves several partners and non-governmental organizations associated with The Consultative Group on Early Childhood Development.

Foundation Strategy Documents

Resources

• Coalition on Children Affected by AIDS
• Joint Learning Initiative on Children and HIV/AIDS