Youth who transition out of care have very poor education and employment outcomes; supporting youth to complete high school, be prepared for success in college, and begin their path to meaningful employment can contribute to self-sufficiency.
Caregivers have a significant opportunity to influence the outcomes of older foster youth, yet they are often ill prepared to support these older youth. Programs improving recruitment, training, and support for these caregivers can empower them to better prepare and support transition-age youth’s (TAY) transition out of care.
Pregnant and parenting teens and crossover youth have the poorest long-term outcomes among TAY and also incur the most costs to society; programs that support these vulnerable groups will improve outcomes and reduce the number of at-risk youth.
In addition to program support, system reform and strengthening can contribute to improved outcomes for youth. Public systems are not aligned with one another, nor well-equipped to serve the needs of older youth. The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation can support greater system alignment and coordination across this broad set of stakeholders.
Three mutually reinforcing activities will allow the Hilton Foundation to achieve its goal of ensuring youth transitioning out of care are on the path to success, able to live self-sufficiently and with the interpersonal connections they need to thrive:
Supporting programs enabling self-sufficiency through college and career readiness, strong caregivers, and services for high-risk youth
Strengthening and aligning systems and agencies with shared goals and coordinated activities to support TAY outcomes
Developing and disseminating new knowledge to inform practice and policy
Their large populations of TAY, positive legislative environments, and the presence of other funders make Los Angeles County and New York City the strategic target geographies for the Hilton Foundation’s investment.
