FYSI Orientation

Cindy Garcia

Statewide FYSI Liaison

History of FYSI

• The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office recognized a significant deficit regarding youth from foster care attending higher education.

• 2006 they sponsored the Foster Youth Success Initiative (FYSI), a statewide outreach and retention effort to improve the ability of these youth to access post secondary education and benefit from the support services that are available, but often unknown to them.

• The FYSI was built through CCCCO leadership and a strong foundation of individuals representing a host of agencies and postsecondary educational institutions

• We have formed a true collaborative effort that has evolved to become a statewide FYSI taskforce that is having collective impact on the challenges affecting foster youth attending community college.

• Foster Youth Success Initiative Liaisons (FYSI) Advocate for and assist students in accessing student and academic support. Level the educational playing field

• FYSI Liaisons at all 112 California Community Colleges.

• 36 colleges have multiple FYSI contacts

• 14,000-16,000 foster youth served

• Located in Financial Aid, Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), Standalone programs

FYSI Today

FYSI Goals

• Assist foster youth with access to academic support, student services and resources that will lead to better academic performance, retention and completion of units

• To coach foster youth to pursue an education despite all the challenges they face

• The end goal is completion of units, certificate, degree, or transfer to a 4 year university

Why we support foster youth in Community College

• Most foster youth must negotiate the transition out of foster care and into independent living and college on their own, often with no parental/ adult support

• Due to this lack of support, foster youth are often disadvantaged as they approach this transition

• Lack of educational attainment is detrimental to the long-term economic wellbeing of foster youth

Who is a former foster youth?

Children who were removed by the courts from their family of origin due to abuse and/or neglect, and placed into the care of extended family members, foster parents or non-relative caregivers until their 21st birthday.

Helpful Definitions

• Ward of the court- youth who are wards of the court fall under welfare and institutions code 300

• Welfare and Institutions Code Section 300(a) deals with physical abuse, requiring a showing that the child has suffered, or there is a substantial risk that the child will suffer, serious physical harm inflicted nonaccidentally by the child's parent or guardian. The parent or guardian must inflict the abuse here nonaccidentally, through a volitional act, even if the parent or guardian did not actually intend to harm the child

• A youth is a ward if they have been removed from their parents and a legal guardian has been appointed by the court

Benefit type Age in foster care Current Age

FAFSA 13 and up Any

Chafee ETV Vouchers 16 and up Under 23

ILP 16 and up Under 21

Priority registration 18 and up Under 24

Medi-Cal 18 and up Under 26

CCC apply Any age Any

Table 1: Foster youth definition summary

[1] This is the requirement specified in statute however some campuses have chosen to adopt a broader definition as allowed by regulation.

Slide provided by California College Pathways

Proposed SB1023 16 and up Under 25

Barriers to Access

• Only 15% of youth in foster care are likely to be enrolled in college prep courses during high school compared to 32% of all students.

• Only about 20% of former foster youth go on to college compared to about 60% of all high school seniors.

• Only 3% will eventually graduate from college as compared to about 27% of the general adult population.

• Over 70% of youth in foster care report that they desire to go to college.

Martin, J. (2003). Foster youth desire college, study show, but face roadblocks to learning

Common Barriers to College

• K-12 school and housing placement instability

• Academic/learning gaps

• Lack of educational advocacy

• Low high school graduation rates

• Records transfer and confidentiality issues

• High rate of homelessness after emancipation

• Long-term effects of abuse and neglect

• Lack of preparedness for post secondary education

Impact of abuse and neglect

• Problems with trust, autonomy, initiative

• Difficulty with independence, intimacy, self-care

• Patterns of intense, unstable relationships and

sometimes defensive interactions

• Interferes with cognitive development

• Difficulty interpreting and identifying emotional

responses

(Herman, J. 1997. Trauma and Recovery)Slide provided by John Burton

Foundation

• Asking for help may be difficult for foster youth

• Youth may be very conscious of how they are

spoken to, looked at and treated

• Be aware of your body language, tone of voice

and the questions you are asking

• Ask if their basic needs are being met, housing,

food, health care, transportation

• See training manual for a chart of what to say and

what to avoid saying

Sensitive Approaches to Communication

By age 24

Foster Youth Comparison

Ever homeless 24% NA

Currently employed 48% 74%

Women ever pregnant 75% 40%

Median income $8,000 $18,300

Men convicted of crime 59% 10%

Women convicted of crime 28% 2%

DESPITE THESE STATISTICES - 25% OF FOSTER YOUTH ENROLL IN COLLEGE

Mark Courtney, et al, Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth: Outcomes at Age 23 and 24, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, 2011.

Good News! Foster Youth are Resilient

• Due to a history of abuse and neglect,

foster youth are highly adaptable and they

learn to survive!

• This is a highly resilient population

• We want foster youth to go from surviving

to thriving in life!

Why do foster youth experience poor academic outcomes?

slide provided by John Burton Foundation

High rates of

disability

Poor school quality

Placement changes

disrupt their education

Children and youth in foster care are

four times more likely to change

schools in a given

school year than other students.

Nearly one in five

youth in foster care

has a disability, twice the rate of the

general population15 percent of children and

youth in foster care attend the lowest performing 10 percent

of schools in California, as compared to just 10 percent of

the general populationBarrat, V. X., & Berliner, B. (2013). The Invisible Achievement Gap, Part 1: Education Outcomes of Students in Foster Care in California’s Public Schools. San Francisco: WestEd.

Together, these experiences result in serious academic delays

slide provided by John Burton Foundation

General population Economically disadvantaged Foster youth0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

22%12%

4%

26%

23%

15%

28%

32%

30%

13%17%

27%

11% 15%23%

Advanced Proficient Basic Below basic Far below basic

24%

35%

50%

% of students who scored at each of five proficiency levels at the California Standards Test in English Language Arts

At Greater Risk: California Foster Youth and the Path from High School to College, March 2013.

Percentage of students who completed high school by 2010

slide provided by John Burton Foundation

General population Comparison population Foster youth0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

79%

53%

45%

Foster youth have the highest rate of high school drop-out, higher than students who are:• Low SES• English

learners• Have

disabilities

At Greater Risk: California Foster Youth and the Path from High School to College, March 2013.

Percentage of students who entered community college by 2010

slide provided by John Burton Foundation

General population Comparison population Foster youth0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

59%

46%43%

At Greater Risk: California Foster Youth and the Path from High School to College. (March 2013),

Percentage of community college enrollees who persisted at least one year

slide provided by John Burton Foundation

General population Comparison population Foster youth0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

62%

48%

41%

At Greater Risk: California Foster Youth and the Path from High School to College. (March 2013),

Highest grade completed at age 26

slide provided by John Burton Foundation

Former foster youth

Same age comparison group

No high school diploma or GED 20% 6%

High school diploma only 31% 18%

GED only 9% 4%

One or more years of college, but no degree 32% 26%

2-year college degree 4% 10%

4-year college degree 3% 24%

One or more years of graduate school 1% 13%

8% 47%

Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth: Outcomes at Age 26. (2011)

Foster Youth and Education

• Last year in California over 4600 foster youth

aged out of care

• Of youth surveyed regarding AB12, 83%

indicated a desire to go to college

• Studies show that only 25% will complete one

year of college and 5% will obtain a 2 or 4 year

degree

21Slide provided by California College Pathways

Why Higher Education Matters

• Significantly higher incomes and job stability

• Lower incarceration rates

• Improved health outcomes

• lower smoking rates

• more positive perceptions of personal health

• Higher levels of civic participation, including

volunteer work and voting

• Improved academic achievement of offspring22

Source: “The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society”, College Board, 2004

Education Pays

23

24

What challenges do foster youth currently face in higher education?

Inadequate housing

Lack of financial

resources

Frequent changes in home and

school leave youth

unprepared

Lack of adult role models

Lack of information about higher education,

financial aid, support

resources etc.

Today, California has a large network of campus support programs

slide provided by John Burton Foundation

CCC CSU UC Private0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Campus Support Programs

comprehensive light-touch

Total Campuses

CCC 112

CSU 23

UC 10

Do campus support programs work for foster youth?

slide provided by John Burton Foundation

Students in campus support programs

Students Nationwide

Foster Youth Nationwide

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

72%

56%

26%

Average Persistence Rates

A Bridge fromFoster Care to College

• FYSI provides a bridge for foster youth entering community college

Foster youth arrive on campus with multiple challenges

• Limited study skills

• No financial support from family

• Lack of independent living skills

• Lack of knowledge about academic

processes

• Untreated trauma

• Academic delays

• Lack of emotional support

• Unstable housing

slides provided by John Burton Foundation

FYSI

How does a FYSI Liaison positively impact foster youth?

• You provide a Safe Place and a Warm Welcome for foster youth

• You are sensitive to the needs and challenges unique to foster youth

• You communicate to disarm defensiveness

• Raise awareness of the FYSI program on campus

• Connect Students with on/off campus resources

Believe in Foster Youth

• Danger of the self-fulfilling prophecy

• Set higher expectations – regardless of past performance

• Consistently reinforce expectation that the youth will

graduate from college and go on to a successful career

• Use such phrases as, “When you transfer to a four year

university….”

slide provided by John Burton Foundation

“No one rises to low expectations” – Les Brown

Campus Success Factors

Directed Students have a goal and know how to achieve it

Focused Students stay on track – keeping their eyes on the prize

Nurtured Students feel somebody wants them to succeed and helps them succeed

Student Support (Re)Defined: Using student voices to redefine support, RP Group, January, 2013.

Campus Success Factors

Engaged Students actively participate in class and are involved in extracurricular activities

Connected Students feel they are part of the college community

Valued Students’ skills, talents, abilities and experience are recognized. The can contribute and are appreciated.

Student Support (Re)Defined: Using student voices to redefine support, RP Group, January, 2013.

• Assistance filling out all financial aid forms, applications, scholarships, verification of foster youth status

• Assistance with accessing cc resources, community resources such as transportation, housing, food, child care, work study, tutoring, counseling, health services, public benefits, textbook and supplies assistance, meal tickets, transportation

• Board Of Governor’s Fee Waiver, Priority Registration

• Chafee Grant, annual maximum $5000.00

• Student Support Success Programs - Orientation, Assessment, Educational Planning, Academic Interventions

• Transfer Information, 4 yr. campus tours, graduation support

• ILP Workshops, financial literacy, career and job skills

• EOPS, Disabled Student Programs and Services, CALWORKS/CARE, Career Counseling/Advising

• Summer Bridge Program, letters of recommendation

Services Provided to Foster Youth

Foster YouthYou-FYSIResources and Services

Financial Aid

Counseling

EOP&S

Registrar/Admissions

AcademicCounseling

Housing

Transportation Tutoring

ILP

Medi-cal

Health Center

Career Center

FAFSA, Chafee, Pell Grant, Cal GrantApplications/Deadlines

Scholarships

Foster YouthVerification What to do?

Where to go? BOGFee Waiver

Priority Registration

Social Support

Mentor

Life Skills

Community Partners

Food

Advocacy

Ed Planning

Resources Available for Foster YouthFinancial AidEarly alert for support and retention of studentsPriority EnrollmentBOG Fee WaiverScholarship opportunities for foster youth

HousingAB12 Extended Foster CareTHP-PlusSummer bridge programs

Academic SupportTutoringCareer Counseling/Advising

Health/Mental HealthMedi-calCounseling

Campus SupportEOPSILPCal Works Program/CAREDisabled Student Programs and Services

Work/CareerWork/StudyJob placement assistanceLetters of recommendation

GraduationLetters of recommendationTransfer servicesAwards ceremony for foster youth completing certificates or degreesGraduation Cap and Gown

ParentingChildcare centersParenting Support

TransportationBus vouchers

Creating a FYSI Campus Support Program

• Create a FYSI webpage and post resources for foster youth

• Make connections with other programs on the campus that can support foster youth

• Make connections with organizations in the community that support foster youth

• Hang Poster “Yes, You Can !”, door hanger, fliers, decals

See: Supporting Campus Foster Youth Programs on FYSI website

Checklist for Former Foster Youth

Apply to College

Assessment, Ed Planning, Orientation

Apply for Financial Aid-FAFSA, Chafee, BOG Fee

Waiver

Obtain Foster Youth Verification

Register for classes- Utilize Priority Enrollment

Apply to EOPS Early- fills up fast

Connect youth to additional support services

Support Resources for Foster Youth

FYSI EOPS

Disabled Student Programs and Services

Campus Support Programs

Cal Works Financial Aid

Academic Interventions

What else does your campus offer?

Resources Available for FYSI Liaisonsto assist Foster Youth

• FYSI Listserv- instructions on website below• FYSI Webpage: http://

extranet.cccco.edu/Divisions/StudentServices/FosterYouthSuccessInitiatives.aspx

• FYSI Training Manual- on the web page above• THP-Plus housing list-on web page above• ILP list-on web page above• California College Pathways:

http://www.cacollegepathways.org/

• John Burton Foundation

http://www.johnburtonfoundation.org

I Can Afford College http://icanaffordcollege.com/

www.Ifoster.org- free & low cost resources for foster youth and caretakers

www.Fosterclub.com- peer network for foster youth

After18http://www.cafosteringconnections.org/pdfs/After18%20Fact%20Sheet.PDF

AB12http://www.cafosteringconnections.org/pdfs/AB12%20Benefit%20Flyer.pdf

Chafeehttps://www.chafee.csac.ca.gov/default.aspx

Foster Youth Campus Support Programs: A leadership guidehttp://www.cacollegepathways.org/sites/default/files/13-7-25_fostercampus_final.pdf

It’s My Life: Post Secondary Education-Financial Aid http://www.casey.org/Resources/Publications/ItsMyLife/Education.htm

List of ILP County Coordinatorshttp://www.cacollegepathways.org/sites/default/files/2-ilp-county-coordinators.doc

Community College Resource Guide for youth enrolling in CChttp://www.cacollegepathways.org/sites/default/files/resource_guide_cc_.pdf

AB194 Priority Enrollment Fact Sheethttp://www.cacollegepathways.org/sites/default/files/ab_194_fact_sheet_final.pdf

Mentor Workbookhttp://www.cacollegepathways.org/sites/default/files/1-mentor-workbook.pdf

Great website for foster youth in collegehttp://fosteringsuccessmichigan.com/

Covered til 26- Medi-Calhttp://coveredtil26.childrennow.org/spread-the-word

California Ombudsman for Foster Carehttp://www.fosteryouthhelp.ca.gov/ombprog.html

THP-Plus Housing- If not eligible for AB12http://thpplus.org/

• Listserv

• Comprehensive Training Manual

• Web based Orientation and Training Modules

• Webinars on important topics- Some with CCP

• Statewide and County resources

• Outreach and College Orientation Toolkits

• FYSI Promotional Materials- logos, door hangers, pins, decals

• FYSI Annual Training

• Quarterly Regional Representatives Advisory Meetings with Stakeholders

Supportive Infrastructure Available to FYSI Liaisons

• Overall program coordination, project management, technical support, disseminate information, improve data collection

• Revising training manual, developing multiple training modules

• Convene Quarterly Regional Representative Advisory Meetings

• Participate in various statewide foster youth focused work groups and task forces

• Work in cooperation with various state agencies (CDE, CDSS, CSAC) to identify opportunities to collaborate and increase stakeholder participation

Statewide Liaison Role

Legislation impacting foster youth AB12 (2011) – Extended Foster Care

• Youth can now stay in foster care until 21

• If youth are not eligible for AB12, the next option is THP-Plus

• Eligibility requirements can include going to college or vocational school

• 2.5 times greater likelihood of attending college and 3 times more likely to obtain BA

• Can live with foster parents, relatives or independent housing

FYSI’s receive training to strengthen their ability to implement new legislation and policies and connect foster youth with available resources

• AB 194 Priority Enrollment

• SB 1456 Student Success and Support Act of 2012- colleges provide orientation, assessment, and educational planning for all students, including foster youth

Legislation Continued…

Data Sharing

• Each CC district uploads data into the central CCCCO

MIS system and the CCCCO in turn uploads the data to

CalPASS Plus.

• CalPASS Plus obtains data from k-12 school districts, 4-

year universities, offering robust tracking and analysis tly

• You can go to the foster youth data dash board and

download a report related to foster youth for your college

• If your institution is not a member of Cal-PASS Plus,

please contact Emily Lawrence, Director of College and

University Outreach, at Emily@calpass.org.

Foster Youth Dashboard

• 2012 a flag was added to MIS system to track foster youth. Colleges are required to report FY status in MIS.

http://datamart.cccco.edu/Services/Special_Pop_Count.aspx

• It is important to mark the check box and flag foster youth and use as many lists as possible to ensure accuracy

• We need actionable data that can be used to make informed decisions related to program development

Foster Youth Dashboard

Academic Year

Foster Youth

Unduplicated Students

Unduplicated First Math/English/ESL

Remedial

% First Math/English/ESL

Remedial

Unduplicated First Math

College/Transfer% First Math

College/Transfer

Unduplicated First English

College/Transfer%First English

College/Transfer

2012-2013 Yes 15,307 7,329 47.9% 3,074 20.1% 2,325 15.2%

2012-2013 No 1,193,966 520,577 43.6% 395,872 33.2% 335,725 28.1%

Academic Year

Foster Youth

Unduplicated Students

Unduplicated Financial Aid Current Year

%Financial Aid Current Year

Unduplicated Financial Aid Consecutive

%Financial Aid Consecutive Years SAP %SAP

2012-2013 Yes 15,307 12,722 83.1% 3,113 20.3% 10,515 68.7%

2012-2013 No 1,193,966 788,994 66.1% 228,315 19.1% 933,377 78.2%

all of the data-related resources being developed in California are available at http://www.cacollegepathways.org/data-resources

Youth Empowerment Strategies for Success – Independent Living

Program (YESS-ILP)

• Partners with California Department of Social

Services (CDSS)

• College YESS-ILP programs provide daily living,

education and advocacy skills to current and

former foster youth ages 16 to 21

• Programs at 18 community colleges throughout

the state

ILP-Transitioned Age Foster Youth (TAFY) Health and Wellness Project

• Partners with California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA)

• Programs at 22 community colleges throughout the state

• Developed Healthy Transitions, a curriculum designed to provide mental health and wellness awareness to current and former foster youth aged 16 to 24.

• http://www.foundationccc.org/WhatWeDo/HealthyTransitions/tabid/944/Default.aspxwww.

• http://www.cccstudentmentalhealth.org/docs/CCCSMHP_TransitionAgedFosterYouthFactSheet.pdf

ILP-CCC Foundation Mini Grants

Annually, the CCC Foundation offers up to $1000.00 in mini grants that are available through Youth Empowerment Strategies for Success/ILP.

Funded by the California Department of Social Services as a sub grant to colleges to do ILP activities, provide professional advocacy services.

This is a direct service project that serves 2000 foster youth each year.

Senate Bill 1023 (LIU)Proposed Legislation 2013-2014

• Would provide foster youth at California's community colleges with specialized academic and social support, as part of the existing Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS)

• Passed State Senate and moving on to State Assembly

Thank you to Walter S. Johnson Foundation for supporting our FYSI Initiative