Young people living in foster care in our city need help building a strong future where they are set up for success. As an administration committed to uplifting all our city’s youth, we are here to make sure those young people connect to college and career opportunities more easily. That is why, last week, we expanded multiple programs through the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) that support children in foster care.
First, we are expanding ‘Fair Futures,’ which provides one-on-one coaching and tutoring for our young people in foster care — ages 11 to 26 — helping them plan for the future and giving them a head start in life. In Fiscal Year 2024, our coaches, working in partnership with New York City Public Schools, helped a majority of 9th graders in foster care enroll in high schools with above average graduation rates. They also helped 116 high school-age youth who dropped out of high school successfully re-engage and re-enroll in a best-fit academic setting. And while the numbers are important here, they do not tell the full story: the story of those individual lives that are changed when they get support, guidance, and the first and second chances they need to succeed.
