Thousands of young adults transitioning out of the Los Angeles County foster care system will soon begin to receive guaranteed income stipends as part of an expansion of the county's "Breathe" program. The initiative attempts to provide support for a demographic statistically prone to struggle with issues such as homelessness and unemployment. Supervisor Holly Mitchell highlighted the program's necessity, saying, "The continued support of transitioning foster youth can provide essential financial stability during such a critical and pivotal time in their lives where data has demonstrated the risks youth exiting care face, including homelessness to justice system involvement," as per a statement obtained by City News Service.
The Breathe program, which started in March 2022, has been providing 1,000 residents with regular payments and expanded last year to include 200 former foster care youth. In its latest iteration, it aims to significantly boost the number of recipients to over 2,000, focusing on both those aged 18 and 19 and those between 19 and 21 who are likely to age out during the program's 18-month term. One group is set to receive $500 monthly for 18 months, with the other receiving quarterly payments of $1,500, to immediately aid as they transition to independence. The Board of Supervisors, according to ABC7, has backed a roughly $15 million expansion of this initiative.
In a sweeping movement to support foster youth, the Breathe program has been designed to not only provide financial aid but also to augment this with access to career and education counseling, as well as other support programs. These efforts are described by the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs’ Center for Financial Empowerment. Furthermore, LAist reports that the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) will roll the program out this fall, automatically enrolling eligible foster youth within the 18 to 21 age range.
The stipend distribution is particularly aimed at fostering self-reliance and skill enhancement among foster dependents. The funds are tied to specific uses, as the board stresses the importance of these stipends to be allocated toward "extracurricular and enrichment activities that are designed to enhance the foster child or non-minor dependent’s skills, abilities, self-esteem, relationships, and overall well-being and healing," a motion outlined by Supervisor Mitchell and specified by AV Press. The program will additionally contribute to ongoing research on how regular stipends might affect behaviors, such as school completion and civic engagement, which could further shape public policy in California.
As the county pushes forward with this expansion, it signals a broader paradigm shift to proactively support foster youth. This move is advocated by supervisors such as Lindsey Horvath, who told LAist that financial support, when combined with counseling and education assistance, will begin to provide a stable transition out of care for foster children. By widening the safety net, LA County takes tangible steps towards shoring up the foundations from which young adults can meaningfully build their futures outside of the foster care system.
