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Homeless Services

LaVerne Adolfo Housing Programs for Former Foster Youth

A Community Approach

In Sacramento County, approximately 387 foster youth will ‘age out’ of the foster care system this year. At age 18, foster youth are considered adults and as such are no longer eligible for support. The results of research about what happens to these youth are alarming. Still, teenagers, who comprise more than one-half of those in foster care, will leave the system alone, without family or other positive role models to help them as they transition to adulthood. Follow up studies about youth leaving foster care without guidance show that within 12 to 18 months of leaving the system:

  • 40% will suffer serious physical victimization, including sexual assault
  • 30% will be homeless
  • 33% will be forced to rely on public assistance

Dismayed by the dismal future portrayed by these statistics, several local agencies and individuals formed collaboration in 1999 to help young people leaving foster care. Aptly named, Sacramento Emancipation Collaboration, the collaboration provides intensive employment and educational services to former foster youth. Services include an array of housing choices from the LaVerne Adolfo Housing Programs for Former Foster Youth; counseling in life skills; legal consultation, as well as providing money for emergencies and expenses. Partners in the Sacramento Emancipation Collaboration include:

  • Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance (DHA);
  • Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS);
  • Sacramento Employment and Training Agency (SETA);
  • Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA);
  • Volunteers of America (VOA)
  • Transitional Living and Community Support (TLCS)
  • Lutheran Social Services (LSS)
  • Casey Family Programs (CFP); and
  • Community based organizations.

The funding for the Sacramento Emancipation Collaboration services is a creative blend of public and private money. Federal Chaffee Independent Living funds, Welfare to Work, CalWORKs and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HOME funds finance the housing programs. HUD Supportive Housing Program, Welfare to Work and CalWORKs will fund the planned permanent supportive housing program. SHRA has ‘set aside’ HUD Housing Choice vouchers for permanent housing. CFP and SETA fund employment and educational services, while the legal services are funded by Tobacco Litigation funds.

For information about this program, please call Victor Contreras at (916) 874-4351 or email: contrerasv@saccounty.net