Young people living in foster care in our city need help building a strong future where they are set up for success. As an administration committed to uplifting all our city’s youth, we are here to make sure those young people connect to college and career opportunities more easily. That is why, last week, we expanded multiple programs through the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) that support children in foster care.
First, we are expanding ‘Fair Futures,’ which provides one-on-one coaching and tutoring for our young people in foster care — ages 11 to 26 — helping them plan for the future and giving them a head start in life. In Fiscal Year 2024, our coaches, working in partnership with New York City Public Schools, helped a majority of 9th graders in foster care enroll in high schools with above average graduation rates. They also helped 116 high school-age youth who dropped out of high school successfully re-engage and re-enroll in a best-fit academic setting. And while the numbers are important here, they do not tell the full story: the story of those individual lives that are changed when they get support, guidance, and the first and second chances they need to succeed.
Fair Futures began in 2019 and, thanks to the courageous and effective advocacy of youth in our care, was later expanded by our administration to include young people involved in the juvenile justice system. Over 4,000 young people who have been in foster care or the juvenile justice system now have dedicated coaches, a number that will expand to approximately 6,000 young people by Fiscal Year 2027 — a 50 percent increase.
In addition to coaching, Fair Futures provides a range of academic, career development, housing, and independent living support systems for young people in foster care or in the juvenile justice system. This is a program that does more than just open doors — it transforms lives.
We are also expanding the ‘College Choice’ program, which we launched in 2022, and that provides kids in foster care with robust support systems, including financial support, as they head off to college. The program covers the tuition, room and board costs of a two-year or four-year college, in addition to providing young people with a daily stipend. The program is expanding from serving 400 young people to 500 youth, a 25 percent increase.
Building off the success of College Choice, we are launching our new ‘Career Choice’ program that will connect young people in foster care who are in vocational, trade, or workforce development programs with financial and social support because college may not always be the right path for every young person. Overall, the Career Choice program will serve approximately 400 youth.
These expansions and innovations are part of a $163-million investment we announced at this year’s State of the City address that will help us reach 8,000 total participants across five popular ACS programs — including the three mentioned above, as well as GirlsJustUs and Assertive Community Engagement & Success — that serve youth in foster care and those involved in the criminal justice system. Together, these programs will help connect more New York City youth with counseling, college opportunities, careers, and more.
This is a city of opportunity, and we are committed to helping young New Yorkers fulfill their potential. We are all invested in the success of our young people because as I often say, ‘if we don’t educate, we will incarcerate.’ And education doesn’t simply stop the day you graduate from high school, as every young person needs some help choosing the right path to take, whether that is enrolling in college or learning a trade.
Since we launched the Fair Futures and College Choice programs, more young people in foster care have had the opportunity to finish high school and attend college. By expanding these programs and adding in support for those attending vocational and trade schools, we are proud to support the next generation of New Yorkers while ensuring they have every opportunity to afford to live and thrive right here in our city.
Photo: Ed Reed, Mayoral Photography Office
