FYSI Mission:
The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) has recognized that there is a significant deficit regarding youth from foster care attending higher education. Acknowledging this need, they are sponsoring a concerted effort called the Foster Youth Success Initiative (FYSI) to bring issues affecting these youth to the forefront and to improve the ability of these youth to access postsecondary education and benefit from the support services that are available but are often unknown to them.
Through the vision of the CCCCO, to create a statewide outreach and retention effort to better serve current and former youth from care, the FYSI was established. FYSI was built through CCCCO leadership and a strong foundation of individuals representing a myriad of agencies and postsecondary educational institutions that have formed a true collaborative effort that has evolved to become a statewide FYSI taskforce. The goals of this initiative are to improve:
- Access to student services and resources
- Access to academic support
- Retention
- Academic performance
- Completion of units
- Completion of programs and degree
- Transfer rates to baccalaureate
FYSI Resources
- CCCO Advisory on Foster Youth and Emancipated Foster Youth Priority Registration (pdf)
- FYSI verification of Foster Youth Status (pdf)
- CDSS All County Letter on Foster Youth Documentation (pdf)
- Providing Effective Financial Aid Assistance to Students from Foster Care and Unaccompanied Homeless Youth: A Key to Higher Education Access and Success Version 2 (available in hard copy or pdf). Order up to five hard copies (free) at http://www.casey.org/resources/Publications/ProvidingEffectiveFinancialAid.htm. If more than five copies are needed, contact John Emerson
- Postsecondary Education Advisor at: jemerson@casey.org
- 2007 Foster Youth Success Initiative Manual (pdf)
- Foster Youth Success Initiative Resource Guide (word/pdf)
- County Independent Living Program Contacts (pdf - only available in pdf)
- Foster Youth Success Initiative Liaison ListServ (word)
- Foster Youth Success Initiative Partners ListServ (word)
- THP-Plus Provider List (pdf - only available in pdf)
- AB 12 for Higher Ed Hot Topic Webinar (pptx)
- Foster Youth Success Initiative Student Success Orientation Framework Overview (pdf)
- Foster Youth Success Initiative Student Success Orientation Framework (pdf)
- Foster Youth Success Initiative Student Success Orientation Framework - Student Handbook (pdf)
- Foster Youth Success Initiative Toolkit (word)
- Foster Youth Success Initiative Brochure (pdf)
- Foster Youth Success Initiative Outreach Powerpoint (pdf)
2012 Foster Youth Success Initiatives Training