Family Care Network Annual Report

transitional age
youth financial
assistance program
(TAY-FAP)
Established in 2010 and in partnership
with SLO County’s Department of
Social Services, TAY-FAP provides
financial assistance to any current or
former foster youth participating in,
or eligible to participate in, the SLO
County’s Independent Living Program.
TAY-FAP leverages community
resources, grants and a dedicated
program fund to help youth enroll
and attend higher education and/
or vocational programs. As TAY-FAP
focuses on increasing participants’
enrollment in higher education or
vocational training, its overall goal is to
assist current or former foster youth
in obtaining meaningful employment
with sustainable wages after they
leave care.
TAY-FAP funding provides for:
• Housing
• Transportation needs
• School/Vocational School supplies
• Urgent and/or emergency
needs related to independent
living expenses, such as: utilities,
household items, groceries, finding
housing/employment, etcetera.
2017-2018 Outcomes
Youth Served 89
Successful Program Days 92%
curtis
Like many foster youth, Curtis’ road through adolescence had been
littered with obstacles, each one seemingly insurmountable. He
struggled to graduate high school and then he struggled to find a
job that would cover his housing and basic needs. Without family to
help him and after a series of bad choices, Curtis ended up jobless
and homeless. But a chance meeting with an old friend gave him the
second chance he needed—he was connected with the Independent
Living Program (ILP) and the Transitional Age Youth Financial Assistant
Program (TAY-FAP), both of which would help him get out of the hole
he couldn’t get out of on his own.
Once connected with FCNI, Curtis found housing with a fellow ILP
participant and started attending every FCNI life skills workshop he
could—job readiness, budgeting, healthy relationships and more. He
became fully committed to learning as much as possible to make up
for the time he’d lost. His team walked him through the process of
identifying what he wanted for his future, and, together, they mapped
out the steps he needed to take and the financial assistance he would
receive. Having spent the last year focused only on survival, Curtis was
overwhelmed by all of the support and resources suddenly available to
him. Not wanting to let anyone down, including himself, he focused on
utilizing his team to stay on course.
Curtis not only achieved his short-term goals—enrolling in college,
securing a job on campus and refurbishing a bike for him to use for
transportation—he felt confident enough to set more long-term goals.
He set up a savings account and a budget so he could eventually buy a
car and move into his own apartment. He also moved beyond dreams
of just getting a job, to wanting a career as a police officer. Curtis’ team
connected him with a mentor who served on the local police force who
could encourage him and help him navigate his career planning.
More than just setting and reaching goals, Curtis really started to see
himself as a leader, someone who weathered a lot, made some mistakes,
and learned how to come out on the other side stronger. Curtis’ stronger
self-confidence helped him become more vocal in FCNI workshops,
offering his support and advice to others in similar circumstances. From
barely surviving to really thriving, Curtis has become a force of ambition
and success who knows no limits.
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