Commissioner highlights historic low foster care numbers and Youth Safety Initiative
Jones-Gaston reports fewer than 6,300 children in foster care, down from 42,000 when ACS was created. She details the $40M Youth Safety and Success Initiative funding Fair Futures coaches, College Choice program expansion, and the new Career Choice program.
In New York City, the number of children in foster care is at a historic low, with fewer than 6,300 children in care, down from 13,000 a decade ago and close to 42,000 when ACS was created 30 years ago.
Our work at ACS centers on continuing to reduce the number of children in care, both by preventing children from entering in the first place and from intensifying efforts to reunify children more quickly.
I am committed to working with the ACS team and our providers to continue this reduction.
For those children and youth in our care, it is essential that we provide them with the resources and skills that they need to become successful and thriving New Yorkers.
This budget includes important actions that will enable us to do this.
The executive budget includes a number of budgetary reductions in the foster care area that will have no impact on children, youth, families, or providers,
as the savings are from underspending or surpluses in specific budget codes, which I'll explain in more detail.
As you recall, last fiscal year, ACS's budget included the Youth Safety and Success Initiative, which was a $40 million investment in programs for youth in foster care.
and the justice system.
Specifically, as it relates to foster care, the initiative funded an expansion of the number of youth who could be served by Fair Futures coaches and tutors,
the number of youth participating in the College Choice program, and the creation of a new program, Career Choice.
As a result of this investment, we see more youth getting connected to Fair Futures coaches, and there are over 470 youth enrolled in College Choice, up from 430 last year.
In addition, we've created and launched Career Choice, a new program that builds off the success of College Choice
by connecting young people in foster care to similar financial, social, and academic support when they elect to attend a vocational program or a job readiness program instead of college.
The program was launched in October, and the first 10 youth are now enrolled in Career Choice programming.
In addition, we are on track for 136 youth to participate in the Department of Youth and Community Development's Advance and Earn program this fiscal year, which is also a part of Career Choice.