|
DATE: |
September 27, 2022 |
07 |
SUBJECT
Title
AUTHORIZE SUBRECIPIENT AGREEMENT WITH THE SAN DIEGO WORKFORCE PARTNERSHIP FOR THE CAREER PATHWAYS FOR FOSTER YOUTH PROGRAM AND AUTHORIZE APPLICATION FOR FUTURE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
On June 8, 2021 (3), the San Diego County Board of Supervisors (Board) took critical action in advancing support to vulnerable San Diego County residents impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic by approving a framework for the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. As part of this framework, under the Senior and Youth Services component, $5 million of ARPA funding was allocated for the Youth Services Fund: Career Pathways for Foster Youth and the San Pasqual Academy Promise. Youth and young adults in foster care face disproportionate levels of unemployment and homelessness as adults. At age 21, almost half of youth in foster care are unemployed and of those who are employed, 70 percent live below the federal poverty level.
The County of San Diego (County) Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) will pursue a subrecipient agreement with the San Diego Workforce Partnership to fund the Career Pathways for Foster Youth Program. The program will provide current and former foster youth with hands on individual employment services to support their vocational/career interests, skills, and talents and help youth transitioning out of the foster care system improve career outcomes. Funding is anticipated to cover three years of the program beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23 through FY 2024-25. At any given time, the program is anticipated to serve approximately 170 current foster youth and nonminor dependents in foster care between ages 16 and 21 and former foster youth who exited the foster care system between ages 18 and 25 (transition age youth) who are residing in San Diego County.
If approved, today’s actions will authorize the transfer of appropriations of $5 million from the Finance Other, General Miscellaneous Expense, Other Charges, appropriated for the Youth Services Fund: Career Pathways for Foster Youth and the San Pasqual Academy Promise component of the ARPA funds, to HHSA, Services & Supplies for the Career Pathways for Foster Youth Program. In addition, today’s actions will authorize the Agency Director, HHSA, upon successful negotiations, to execute a subrecipient agreement with the San Diego Workforce Partnership to fund employment support services to current and former youth in foster care ages 16 to 25 years; and authorize Agency Director, Health and human Services Agency, to apply for any additional funding opportunities, if available, to improve employment and career outcomes for current and former youth in foster care.
This item supports the County’s vision of a just, sustainable, and resilient future for all, specifically those communities and populations in San Diego County that have been historically left behind, as well as our ongoing commitment to the regional Live Well San Diego vision of healthy, safe and thriving communities. This will be accomplished by providing increased opportunities and equitable access to employment and career support services to youth transitioning out of foster care.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
1. Authorize the Agency Director, Health and Human Services Agency, or designee, upon successful negotiations, to execute a subrecipient agreement with the San Diego Workforce Partnership to fund the Career Pathways for Foster Youth Program for current and former youth in foster care ages 16 to 25 years in San Diego County and to execute any subsequent amendments thereto.
2. Transfer appropriations of $5,000,000 from the Finance Other, General Miscellaneous Expense, Other Charges, appropriated for the Career Pathways for Foster Youth and the San Pasqual Academy Promise component of the ARPA funds, to the Health and Human Services Agency, Services & Supplies for employment and career support services for current and former foster youth.
3. Authorize the Agency Director, Health and Human Services Agency, to apply for any additional funding opportunities, if available, to improve employment and career outcomes for current and former youth in foster care.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
The transition from adolescence to adulthood is a critical developmental stage as youth learn the skills needed to be healthy, self-sufficient, and productive adults. This process can be complex for youth with foster care experience. Surveys and administrative data show that young people with foster care experience are falling behind their peers who have not experienced foster care. This is particularly evident for youth of color, who are overrepresented in foster care and far more likely to face barriers to success and wellbeing. Youth in foster care face disproportionate levels of unemployment and homelessness as adults. By age 21, young people who experienced foster care reported significantly lower rates of high school completion and employment than young people in the general population. Research has shown that young people aging out of foster care have less stable employment, work fewer hours, and earn lower wages than their peers in the general population; and that these differences continue into early adulthood.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have significant impacts across the nation, causing high levels of unemployment and disconnection from work and school. Moreover, some communities were disproportionately impacted and are at higher risk for adverse outcomes due to the pandemic, including transition age foster youth (18 to 25 years old). Transition age foster youth report negative impacts on their employment, educational attainment, ability to meet basic needs, and connection to work and school.
Between November 2021 and March 2022, the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, Child Welfare Services (CWS) engaged the Foster Alumni and Youth Community Empowerment Subcommittee of the Child and Family Strengthening Advisory Board of San Diego County and CWS staff with lived experience to gather input and proposals for a program design focused on providing youth in foster care with equitable access to services that help shape their career pathways. Proposed program goals were strategically developed to impact change and improve the quality of life and economic wellbeing for youth in the foster care system. CWS will continue to ensure transparency, accountability, and equitable access to decision-making processes throughout the program and engage youth and the community on ideas for sustainability. CWS will also continue to identify and pursue opportunities to broaden community partnerships and increase access to available and complementary resources and funding.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Implementation of the Career Pathways for Foster Youth program will result in sustainability enrichments in the economy, and the social, health, and wellbeing aspects of the community. The Career Pathways for Foster Youth program will contribute to County of San Diego Sustainability Goal #2 and positively impact the foster care community and transition age youth by providing just and equitable opportunities to improve career and educational outcomes. In partnership with the San Diego Workforce Partnership, this collaborative effort will invest in building resilience in one of our most vulnerable populations and bolster youth access to economic and social mobility leading to long-term success. This program will make employment and career services available to youth that are uniquely tailored to their career interests and will remove barriers that limit opportunities for long-term success.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds for this request are included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-24 in the County of San Diego (County) Operational Plan. If approved, this request will result in costs and revenue of $5,000,000 in FY 2022-23 through FY 2024-25. The funding source for this request is the American Rescue Plan Act funding allocated directly to the County. There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
This item was presented to the Child and Family Strengthening Advisory Board as an informational item on May 13, 2022.
BACKGROUND
On June 8, 2021 (3), the San Diego County Board of Supervisors (Board) took critical action in advancing support to vulnerable San Diego County residents impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and approved a framework for the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, including approval of ARPA funding for the Youth Services Fund: Career Pathways for Foster Youth and the San Pasqual Academy Promise. The employment outcomes of young people aging out of foster care are, on average, poorer than those of their peers who have not been in foster care. Youth and young adults in foster care face disproportionate levels of unemployment and homelessness as adults. At age 21, almost half of youth in foster care are unemployed and of those who are employed, 70 percent live below the federal poverty level.
Developing research indicates a lack of effectiveness in workforce programs serving youth in foster care partly due to a focus on placing youth in jobs versus connecting with a career. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have significant impacts causing high levels of unemployment and disconnection to work and school. Vulnerable communities at higher risk for adverse outcomes due to the pandemic include transition age foster youth (18 to 25 years old) who report negative impacts on their employment, educational attainment, ability to meet basic needs, and connection to work and school.
To prioritize the voice of the youth and ensure that a program focused on career pathways for foster youth is youth-driven, youth-centered, and meets the diverse needs of the youth population to be served, the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), Child Welfare Services (CWS) engaged with youth formerly in foster care and CWS staff with lived experience to gather input and collectively design the Career Pathways for Foster Youth Program. The overarching goal of the Career Pathways for Foster Youth Program is to identify opportunities to improve career outcomes for youth transitioning out of the foster care system by providing current and former foster youth with hands on individual employment services to support their vocational/career interest, skills, and talents. Youth input gathered underscored the importance of developing program goals that will foster interest development and capability growth, provide hands-on, action-oriented learning, build youth capacity, and remove external barriers that may limit or prevent participation.
HHSA will pursue a subrecipient agreement with the San Diego Workforce Partnership (SDWP) to fund the Career Pathways for Foster Youth Program in support of recommendations provided by the Foster Alumni and Youth Community Empowerment Subcommittee (FAYCES) of the Child and Family Strengthening Advisory Board of San Diego County to ensure a just and equitable career and education program for current and former youth in foster care. The SDWP has a long history of providing employment, education and career services to job seekers to increase economic mobility, help businesses grow, rebuild and thrive equitably, and prepare children and young adults for the world of work. The SDWP collects data to analyze workforce trends, in-demand jobs, career pathways, high-growth sectors and economic inequality to help job seekers chart their career paths, support their talents, and help inform community leaders in planning and investment strategies to build an inclusive, prosperous regional economy. Partnering with SDWP to extend the provision of their existing employment and career support services to current and former youth in foster care ages 16 to 25 years (an age group already served by SDWP) will allow for greater pooling of services, resources, and supports; increased access to employers in diverse industries; broader community partnerships; and maximum community impact and positive outcomes.
Funding for the Career Pathways for Foster Youth Program is projected to cover three years of operations, beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23 through FY 2024-25. At any given time, the program is anticipated to serve approximately 170 current foster youth and nonminor dependents in foster care between ages 16 and 21 and former foster youth who exited the foster care system between ages 18 and 25 (transition age youth) and residing in San Diego County.
In keeping with the foster alumni and youth community’s recommended program goals and supporting youth in succeeding in their chosen career path, there will be four distinct tracts available for foster youth participants that focus on specific goals and related services and supports, allowing flexibility for youth to participate in tracks aligned with their chosen career path and transition seamlessly to other supporting tracks. The table below provides an overview of complementary services offered by SDWP grouped into four tracks to meet the vision of various career pathways and highlighted goals.
|
Track |
Overview |
Goals |
|
Track 1 Paid Work Experience |
Engage youth to offer mentoring, Skills to Succeed Training, career exploration, stipends, and provide internship experiences. |
• Provide a Youth Service Navigator to guide youth through available opportunities; • Offer tours and job site visits; and • Make available paid internship opportunities. |
|
Track 2 Expand County and Other Employer Partnership Opportunities |
Expand County and other employer partnership opportunities to serve additional youth with the inclusion of on-the-job mentoring to provide professional support and guidance. |
• Deliver work readiness training prior to the internship; • Place youth in County departments and with public and private employers; and • Support youth with case management, wraparound services, and finding permanent employment and/or enrolling in additional training/school. |
|
Track 3 Training Pathways Program |
Recruit youth who have a high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) and are ready to enter occupational skills training. |
• Connect youth to internal and external services and partners and assistance in job placement; • Provide paid occupational skills training and apprenticeships; and • Make available access to supportive services to assist with expenses related to the ability to attend training and other needs-related payments. |
|
Track 4 Career Development Trainings |
Incorporate career exploration and work readiness training into the existing Fostering Academic Success in Education (FASE) Foster Youth program, a program designed to improve educational outcomes for foster youth. |
Provide youth participating in the FASE program access to opportunities to receive: • The core Basic and Essential Skills Trainings (BEST); and • Support in finding permanent employment and/or enrolling in training or school. |
Each track will serve the maximum number of youth possible. CWS will continue expanded community outreach efforts and engagement with FAYCES and youth-serving community partners at every stage in planning and implementation to ensure transparency and program effectiveness. Upon implementation readiness, CWS Independent Living Skills (ILS) staff will partner with contracted ILS providers to strategize and deliver targeted messaging of the available service to eligible youth. This combined effort will ensure that eligible youth are aware of the program and are provided with equitable access and opportunity to participate.
CWS will collaborate with SDWP, youth, and community stakeholders to develop mechanisms for collecting data and evaluating the program progress to help measure intended outcomes. To sustain the supports that the ARPA funding will provide youth learning how to succeed in the world of work, CWS will explore and pursue other funding sources, grant-funding opportunities, and monitor legislation in support of increasing access to employment and career opportunities for youth with experience in foster care.
It is widely recognized that youth are more likely to make successful connections to competitive employment after leaving foster care when they engage in on-the-job training while in care. If approved, today’s actions will authorize the transfer of appropriations of $5 million from the Finance Other, General Miscellaneous Expense, Other Charges, appropriated for the Youth Services Fund: Career Pathways for Foster Youth and the San Pasqual Academy Promise component of the ARPA funds, to HHSA, Services & Supplies for the Career Pathways for Foster Youth Program. In addition, today’s actions will authorize the Agency Director, HHSA, upon successful negotiations, to execute a subrecipient agreement with SDWP to fund employment support services to youth with experience in foster care ages 16 to 25 years; and authorize HHSA to apply for any additional funding opportunities, if available, to improve employment and career outcomes for current and former youth in foster care.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s proposed actions support the Sustainability (Economy and Resiliency), Equity (Health and Economic Opportunity), Empower (Transparency and Accountability), Community (Engagement, Quality of Life, Communications, and Partnership), and Justice (Environmental) initiatives in the County of San Diego’s 2022-2027 Strategic Plan, as well as the regional Live Well San Diego vision, by providing equitable and accessible opportunities to improve the economic well-being of youth with foster care experience.
Respectfully submitted,
HELEN N. ROBBINS-MEYER
Chief Administrative Officer
ATTACHMENT(S)
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