Just in Time for Foster Youth (JIT) envisions a future in which every youth leaving the foster care system has a community of caring adults waiting for them after 18. They believe consistent, long-term help from the heart is the foundation for the success of their youth so that they can thrive and enjoy productive, satisfying lives. Without family support, young adults are at risk of being homeless, unemployed, and under-educated. Only too often they plunge onto a path of lifelong dependence or prison.
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For their commitment to providing transitioning foster youth with an extended family of mentors who grow to become a lifelong support system for them, we are proud to have Just in Time for Foster Youth as our Spring 2013 Cause of the Quarter.
Did You Know?
The Cities, Counties and Schools (CCS) Partnership found that, after emancipation:
- 40-50% of former foster youth become homeless within 18 months
- 60% of youth are destitute, earning incomes at or below $6,000 per year
- Only 1-3% graduate from college
- 25% of foster youth will be in prison within two years of emancipation