Mission: The mission of First Place is to help foster kids build the skills they need to make a successful transition to self-sufficiency and responsible adulthood.
Vision: We believe that all foster kids in the United States can achieve self-sufficiency and make a successful transition to adulthood so that the disparities between them and their non-foster care peers are eliminated. First Place is a national leader in building the evidence to support this drive and in increasing awareness, changing perceptions and building a movement to make it happen.
History: First Place was founded in 1998 by Amy Lemley and Deanne Pearn, graduate students at the University of California at Berkeley-Goldman School of Public Policy. Amy and Deanne were struck by the poverty and homelessness that affects so many young people who grow up in foster care and were inspired to help break the cycle of poverty for these vulnerable youth. With a small grant in hand, they began First Place with four former foster kids—providing critical housing and support around education, employment and financial literacy. First Place was the first organization in Northern California dedicated exclusively to addressing the lack of affordable housing and resources for former foster kids and has grown to become a nationally-recognized model operating in six California counties.
Learn More: Visit us at www.firstplaceforyouth.org
First Place for Youth focuses on helping foster youth get stable housing and then providing education and employment services to help them become self-sufficient.
Ohio here we come! We are so excited to be partnering with Hamilton County and the Greenlight Fund to give foster youth in the Cincinnati area access to the individualized housing, education, and employment support services that are the foundation of our programs.
When we launched our My First Place Network in 2017, it was our hope to create a national network of partnerships dedicated to providing current and former foster youth with the right support to help them achieve lasting stability and success. Now, we have four partnerships up and running, benefiting young people in Boston, New York City, and throughout the state of Mississippi!
It was a rocky start for me at First Place. I didn’t believe in myself, and I had a bad habit of giving up when things got hard. I hadn’t finished high school, had never had a job, and didn’t know what I wanted or how to get it. Even in the beginning, when I wasn’t sure what I was doing, my First Place team was supportive and ready to help.
Read Cynthia’s full story, and meet other First Place for Youth alumni
When you give to First Place for Youth, you support the long-term success of foster youth and young people who have experienced homelessness.
At First Place, these young people find a team dedicated to helping them define and achieve success. They are given a safe, stable place to call home, and they receive guidance and support as they continue their educations and begin careers. Many First Place participants have spent their entire lives in foster care, moving from one foster home to another, but with us they’ll have time and space to learn important life skills and figure out who they are, what they want out of life, and how to get it.
“I vote because my ancestors fought for my right to vote!”
This is just one of the inspiring motivations our program participants shared for why they’ll be voting this year.
At last week’s voter info day, our Los Angeles staff helped nearly 30 of our young people register to vote for the first time, provided election guides, and facilitated a debate on California’s Proposition 1 (funding for housing programs).
What a great gift for a basketball fan! Long-time First Place supporter Michelle dropped by the office yesterday with two tickets to the Warriors’ pre-season game, and Tyray was all smiles over the surprise.
Since joining First Place, Tyray has been hard at work completing his general education requirements in community college and, as one of our youth interns, he’s always a positive presence in the office.
To learn more about First Place for Youth and how you can help us make a positive impact in the lives of foster youth, visit firstplaceforyouth.org
“That first great breath of freedom. It was exciting — until I got on my own,” said Carmen, who started in First Place at 17 but wasn’t ready for it. She left for a year and then reached out to come back. “I was more clear that time what I needed to do and what steps I needed to take. I was grateful for that second chance.”
Carmen, who did not want her last name used to preserve her privacy, graduated from First Place at 24.
First Place’s name describes its core: help youths transition from foster care to a place of their own, typically an apartment with a roommate. The lease is signed with the nonprofit, not the youth, so landlords are willing to accept the young tenants. More than 1,000 current and former foster kids have been housed through First Place over the past decade.
“It feels like more of a home, where I am now. I’m comfortable here,” says Leticia, who joined First Place in 2017.
For Leticia, home and comfort have not always been synonymous. Both of her parents struggled with substance abuse, and Leticia found herself bounced back and forth between them for years. By the time she was 14 she had been separated from her younger sisters, who had entered the foster care system. While her sisters were placed in to long-term kinship care with an aunt and uncle, Leticia continued to live with her father, but their relationship was strained and unstable. It reached a point when she felt she could not stay in the home any longer.
She couldn’t go to her aunt and uncle. As foster care providers, she knew they would be required to report her to social services, who she was sure would return her to her father. At 16 years old, Leticia became a runaway.
Still, she tried to make the best decisions she could in her situation to keep bettering her life. She continued going to school because, she explains, “I didn’t want to be a bad influence for my sisters since we mean a lot to each other.”
Her school eventually discovered Leticia’s status and gave her the opportunity to talk to a social worker. After hearing her story the social worker agreed that Leticia should be in foster care. Once the decision was made, it was only a matter of days before she was in the care of her aunt and uncle and reunited with her sisters.
When she turned 18, Leticia chose to stay in foster care but moved into a transitional housing program in Sacramento to experience more independence. Things started off well, but Leticia was one of the youngest residents of the program, and she found it difficult to get support from staff when she needed it. She also struggled with being so far away from her friends and her sisters.
“I decided to come back to San Jose,” Leticia says, “I lived with my boyfriend for a month before my social worker told me about First Place. I got into the program really quickly, and it’s been great!”
From her first day in First Place, Leticia has exhibited incredible determination to succeed and has stayed focused on her goals, at one point working two jobs. She has also continued to be fully committed to continuing her education. With the help of her First Place team Leticia enrolled in West Valley Community College where she is now taking courses preparing her for a career in law enforcement.
While Leticia is a responsible tenant who takes pride in maintaining her apartment, her feelings of home and comfort aren’t just about a place. They come from having people she can count on. Her First Place team knows that when Leticia has questions or needs help, she’ll reach out for guidance, and Leticia in turn knows that they are there for her. “I love the fact that they trust us and let us be independent,” she says of First Place staff, “but they all come around when you need them.”
Hey Bay Area! Come on out this Thursday, January 25th to enjoy an evening of live entertainment supporting First Place, featuring the old-world inspired Trio Bulgari.
First Place for Youth provides housing, education, and employment support services to young people as they transition from foster care to independence.
Founded by artist Mark Bradford, philanthropist and collector Eileen Harris Norton, and community activist Allan DiCastro, Art + Practice not only provides world class arts experiences but in partnership with First Place for Youth, local foster youth receive access to housing, individualized education and employment support.
Working with with Art + Practice has allowed First Place to serve more foster kids in Los Angeles than ever before. The support and opportunities we can provide together will have lasting impacts on our young people and on the South LA community.
Check out this PBS SoCal feature on Art + Practice’s vision, how First Place’s work fits into it, and how foster kids are benefiting!
When Ranisha joined First Place for Youth she found much more than a place to live; she found people who listen to her and who want her to succeed. See what it means to her to be able to take charge of her life and prepare for the future with her First Place team by her side.
On August 5, 2017, Kurt Warner was inducted in the NFL Hall of Fame. For Kurt, a hall of fame career was anything but certain when he was third on the depth chart for much of college, or when he went undrafted.
Last year, Kurt sat down to talk to us about how a strong support system helped him overcome the challenges he faced and why he and his wife now support foster kids.
I was a struggling college student full of uncertainty before coming into the program and just needed an opportunity to make it. Not only did First Place for youth bless me with the opportunity to graduate from college but they provided me so much more and for that I will be forever grateful. Thank you all for being there for me along my journey.
-Jose G.
Education opens doors, but foster youth face significant barriers to college success. First Place is dedicated to supporting our young people as they work to reach their academic goals, and we are always excited to see that work pay off like it has for Jose.
This spring, Jose earned his bachelor's degree in Rehabilitation Services from Cal State, LA. While he'd completed the My First Place program in March, when graduation rolled around in May, First Place LA's Daniel and Mariya were there to cheer him on.
Seeing Jose's confidence and pride as he accepted his diploma reminded Daniel just how much the work of First Place matters.
We were honored to be part of Jose’s journey to independence, and we wish him success in his next steps, which include pursuing his master's degree in Occupational Therapy.
Young people aging out of foster care face a steep uphill climb on the road to independence. Going it alone puts them at higher risk for incarceration, poverty, and repeating the cycle of foster care with their own children. But with the right support, these young people can forge a path toward the futures they want.
In Hugs and Algorithms, First Place for Youth CEO Sam Cobbs explains that while good data can help us understand what the right support is, it’s only part of the equation. Trust and connection are vital. We have to understand both the statistics and the stories.
It’s almost impossible to earn a degree when we are forced out of the system at 18.
At First Place, we’re working to change the odds for foster kids. We believe that all young people have the potential to find success in a post-secondary path, and we have designed a program that provides our participants, like Noel, with the personalized support they need to put their goals within reach.
We are proud of Noel’s academic progress and his commitment to speaking out for other foster kids.
At First Place we like to take time out to celebrate the accomplishments of our program participants. In each office, regular Wall of Fame ceremonies allow our staff to recognize those young people who are staying focused and seeing results. The Wall of Fame is also a chance for honorees to speak about what’s worked for them and share encouragement with fellow youth in program.
Highlights from March Walls of Fame:
An Alameda County Education Award was presented to Elijah, whose hard work in community college has resulted in multiple acceptances to four-year universities. For Elijah, a key lesson has been, "pick your role models carefully, follow their example, and don't give up."
At the LA ceremony, Shanell received an All Around Award, recognizing her upcoming successful exit from our program. In two years with First Place, Shanell earned her GED, completed a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program, landed a steady job, and further developed her parenting skills. We are so proud of her!
In Contra Costa County, Ava was recognized for his excellence on the job. Since entering the First Place program seven months ago, he’s has been promoted twice at work! According to Ava, “It pays to keep focused and work hard.”
Help make success a reality for more young people in foster care! Learn how you can support First Place for Youth.
Jordan was only ten when his father died, and while he did his best to adapt to life without his father’s guidance, it wasn’t easy. “Not having my dad there forced me to be stronger, but it also made me weaker,” says Jordan. “I feel like if he were here, a lot of stuff wouldn’t have happened.”
As Jordan entered his teen years, his relationship with his mother deteriorated and he began engaging in self-destructive behaviors and entered foster care as a teenager. After more than two years of living in various group homes and at times, living with an aunt, Jordan chose to take control of his own life and build skills toward independence.
“You can’t grow up without experiencing grown up stuff,” Jordan says. First Place for Youth offered him the opportunity to gain that experience secure in the knowledge that his team at First Place was by his side.
Since joining First Place through the Foster Youth Practice Space at South LA’s Art + Practice in November 2016, Jordan has been able to focus on setting and working toward his goals. While it’s only been four months since he walked through the doors of First Place’s office, Jordan has already made incredible strides toward the life he wants. He secured his first job, started his first semester at El Camino College and, with the help of his First Place Youth Advocate, re-connected with his mother after a year apart. As if that’s not enough to keep anyone busy, Jordan also has his eyes on a career in the music industry, so much of what spare time he has is spent writing and practicing in the studio.
“Having a roof over my head has really helped,” says Jordan of the role that First Place has played in his new, more stable lifestyle. “At the end of the day, I can come home and not have to worry because I have a safe place to be.”
This profile first appeared in issue #1 of the Art + Practice 2017 Newsletter. To learn more about our collaboration with A+P, visit the Foster Youth Services section of their website.
