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California Connected by 25
The California Connected by 25 Initiative (CC25) works to guarantee that California foster youth are successfully connected to a comprehensive continuum of services and support that promotes positive development and sustained safety, permanency and well being. The initiative is focused on ensuring that youth who leave foster care become thriving adults through permanent family and community connections, success in education, and employment stability and advancement.
This initiative focuses on helping foster youth develop the assets necessary to make a successful transition to adulthood.
Read the detailed description of this initiative here. pdf
Guiding Principles
Motivate youth, increase expectations and hope Empower youth Reduce stigma Provide continuity and sustain connections Develop positive relationships Provide opportunities to practice and fail safely
Strategies
The CC25 initiative offers a coordinated framework to support counties and the State of California in development of improved policy and practice across key focus areas:
- K-12 Education
- Employment, Job Training and Post-Secondary Education
- Housing
- Independent Living Skills
- Financial Literacy, Savings and Asset Development
- Permanency and Social Asset Development
- Data and Evaluation
Impact
Foster youth lives have been improved by the Connected by 25 Initiative:
- In San Francisco, 62 youth received job placements, entered vocational programs and participated in internships.
- In Fresno, Pathways to Education and Careers, implemented by Fresno’s Workforce Investment Board, City College and the child welfare agency, is providing a one semester learning community, college credit, and English and Math remediation and career preparation coursework.
- In Stanislaus, the My Home Model of Transitional Housing Program has served 34 youth since its implementation in June 2006. Youth live with “lifelong connections” and receive an integrated model of transitional housing, employment,and permanency services.
- In Santa Clara, the Emancipated Foster Youth (EFY) Employment Program allows application for over 100 eligible job classifications through one on-line application. Over 30 youth have been hired into the program.