Starting in 2023, YouthNPower will begin giving monthly cash assistance to 100 young people across New York City who have recently aged out of foster care. Our 100 participants will receive $1000/month, no-strings-attached, for 12 months.

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The Current Social Safety Net is Failing Former Foster Youth

Our pilot responds to the struggles and barriers that many young people face as they age out of foster care. Youth transitioning out of care without permanency face high rates of homelessness, high rates of court involvement, and a widespread lack of access to employment, education, and healthcare. These poor outcomes are not the result of individual failures but rather are indicative of the deep and sustained failure of our current social safety net in supporting youth as they age out of care.

These outcomes are disproportionately worse for youth of color, as well as queer and trans youth. Despite federal, state and local investments in new policies over recent decades, youth who age-out continue to live in extreme precarity. The absence of supports reflect the systemic racism at the center of the child welfare system.

Young People are Experts in Their Own Lives

We believe that providing young people aging out of care with reliable, no-strings-attached cash assistance can make the biggest impact on their lives while honoring their autonomy. Young people can be trusted to make their own decisions and we want to provide them with the cash support they need to feel empowered to choose what is best for their own lives. That said, for every participant in the DCT, we will provide benefits counseling and a comprehensive list of social, health, financial, educational, housing, and other resources which they can choose how to engage with.

Unconditional Cash Works

Our pilot will build on what has already been proven through guaranteed income programs across the United States and across the world: Unconditional Cash Works. When people are given money to spend how they see fit, they are better able to meet their present needs while creating a more stable foundation for their future. Our project will be conducting research about our DCT pilot to build on existing findings about the impacts of unconditional cash and more specifically what cash assistance can mean for young people transitioning out of care. 

Our Participatory Research

Our pilot is the first direct cash transfer project co-designed with young people who have experienced foster care. Embedded in the pilot is a first-of-its kind, participatory action research study to examine the impact of unconditional cash support and translate findings into policy action. While we examine the impact of the direct cash transfer pilot, we will also collaboratively develop a robust understanding of experiences of leaving foster care, highlighting young people’s visions for self-determination, community connectedness, care, and family, as well as their perspectives on economic security and social justice. Our research will inform recommendations for policy and practice, including making a case for guaranteed income for all young people aging out of foster care, and bringing attention to the need for rigorous policy development that is rooted in lived experience.

Click below to learn about how you can apply for the YouthNPower Direct Cash Transfer pilot.

Eligibility

Our Direct Cash Transfer pilot is designed for young people who have recently aged out of foster care in New York City. Therefore, in order to be eligible for our pilot, applicants must fit within a few criteria.

  1. Applicants must be between the ages of 18-22
  2. Applicants must have been in foster care in New York City at age 18 or older
  3. Applicants must be out of foster care in New York City *or* Continuation of Care and Support (CCS21+) for at least 6 months at the time of their application 
  4. Applicants must have “aged out” of foster care, meaning the last time they left foster care was not due to reunification, adoption, or guardianship
  5. Applicants must be currently living in New York City
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Have More Questions?

Want to learn more about YouthNPower?

Reach out to our Project Manager, Jose Perez